The wild west days of streaming are coming to a close, and we're entering a new era where everyone and their mother has their own service, vying for your attention and money. No longer do these services work under the guise of "We have everything." They are all working towards specialization as their main focus, with previously aired movies and TV shows being a secondary offering, even if upcoming services are spending millions getting the rights to shows like Friends and The Office.

　　In 2019, the streaming service space got even bigger with the launches of Apple TV+ and Disney+. One is now a major player in this space and the other has already been forgotten about because it chose to launch without any kind of programming library to lure new users in. And it's only going to get worse. In 2020, there will be three new services coming: HBO Max, NBC's Peacock, and the self-proclaimed "millennial-focused" Quibi.

　　Let's take a look back at 2019 and what streaming had to offer us. We won't be discussing services that primarily focus on live TV streaming like Sling or YouTube TV, movie services like Vudu, or the few cable/satellite streaming services that exist--as they are nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing for cord cutters, and you'll end up paying the same price as cable for less channels. Here's a wrap up of the year of way too many streaming services.

　　

The Big Three

Netflix

Since Netflix has been the king of streaming services for years, we've all wondered, "What's going to be the "Netflix killer"? The answer isn't a single service, though. It's becoming clearer and clearer that while everyone else was stepping up their game, Netflix was coasting, but if nothing changes, it'll quickly become a sinking ship. Sure, there is some great programming that's going to keep people subscribing--much like how Game of Thrones kept people tuned in to HBO. But aside from Stranger Things, Netflix doesn't have that "water cooler" series that has everyone talking. Yes, there are plenty of great series on there like Mindhunter, BoJack Horseman, Master of None, Queer Eye, etc, but nothing with the same mass appeal as Stranger Things--which is easily one of the largest and most-talked about TV shows this century. Why is this a problem though?

　　While you may not agree with that critique of Netflix, you need to look at the larger picture. Netflix is losing or has lost much of its secondary offerings. Friends is leaving for HBO Max, The Office is headed to Peacock, and all of the Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney movies are--or will be very soon--exclusively on Disney+. And with more niche services like the horror-themed Shudder becoming larger and getting exclusive deals with movies and TV series, Netflix will soon be picking at the scraps of content to fill out its service. 2020 will be a big year for Netflix, but for all the wrong reasons.

　　The saving grace for the company will be either people forgetting they have a subscription or the sunk cost fallacy--where you've already sunk so much time, money, or resources into something that you decide to keep going, no matter how bad it gets. It's the same reason we keep watching a full season of a bad TV show after we've already watched four episodes. Ignorance may be how Netflix stays afloat if it doesn't change its ways. It's sunk cost fallacy at its finest. However, any time people start to feel like this about Netflix, the service drops something like The Irishman, which captures the attention of the world for a month.

　　

Hulu

Unlike Netflix, Hulu isn't in a position where it is struggling. In many ways, it's thriving more than ever. The service continues to be a great place to go to in order to watch TV shows the day after they air, and now with Disney fully taking control, it'll be a whole lot easier to watch TV shows under that company's umbrella.

　　More people have access to Hulu than ever before simply because Disney gave new subscribers the option to bundle it--along with ESPN+--with the Disney+ streaming service. While Netflix may have the broadest mainstream appeal, it's actually Hulu that has the highest quality content overall for a "catchall" streaming service, even if a major selling point is watching many TV shows the day after they air.

　　In 2019, Hulu shined exceptionally when it came to original programming. This year saw Season 3 of Handmaid's Tale, which escaped the sophomore slump of Season 2, giving realistic hope to the show's main character June. Additionally, Season 2 of Castle Rock debuted, building on the ideas of the first season while presenting a story that is completely standalone and much more interesting than its opening offering. Aside from what should be considered Hulu's tentpoles for original programming, this year saw the launch of the comedies Pen15 and Ramy which both have received acclaim from critics and fans alike.

　　Additionally, Hulu is now the exclusive home for the FX library and streaming certain FX series. This is actually a big get for the service, as FX has been putting out dynamite TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Legion, American Horror Story, and more.

　　

Amazon Prime Video

Out of the "Big 3 of Streaming," Amazon Prime Video had a great year for original content and a slow year for everything else. Its original series The Boys launched this year, which was surprisingly good. Additionally, Good Omens arrived, and the quirky comedy was a hit with fans. Meanwhile, the critically acclaimed The Marvelous Ms. Maisel debuted its third season. That's where the good news ends, though..

　　Sure, Amazon having the streaming rights to Thursday Night Football is a big deal, but it's not that important when it is also airing on Fox, a network that's already broadcasted for free--as long as you have an antenna or cable/satellite package. And aside from one NFL game a week, Amazon isn't getting the same monthly content updates as its competitors. Its monthly new release selection is lackluster at best.

　　Regardless, the main reason to have Amazon Prime Video is because customers get two-day shipping for free when they buy something on Amazon, and during the holiday season, that comes in handy. However, when the biggest selling-point for your streaming service is free delivery from a massive online retailer, that's not putting a lot of faith in what you're providing.

　　

The Tale of Two Very Different Launches

The biggest streaming news of the year was the launch of both Disney+ and Apple TV+. On November 1, Apple TV+ launched, just 11 days before Disney's service, and Apple's latest streaming service didn't really offer anything of note. While it had plenty of original content, it didn't garner the same amount of attention as other services, and because Apple TV+ only has original content and nothing else, it may not be interesting enough for the casual streaming fan. Nine new series premiered on launch day, but aside from The Morning Show, there wasn't any real buzz about them. GameSpot gave See a 7/10 after watching the first three episodes of Season 1, but a week after Apple TV+'s launch, seemingly everyone forgot about its existence.

　　On November 11, the most-anticipated streaming service to date went public, Disney+. It offered a large catalogue of Disney, Pixar, National Geographic, Star Wars, and Marvel movies and TV shows to kick things off, alongside original content. The biggest original show of note was none other than the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and even though the quality of the series differed between episodes, it's still a must-see series for most Star Wars fans. On top of that, numerous other original series helped kick off Disney+ including High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, and The Imagineering Story--a documentary chronicling the history of Disney's theme parks.

　　Not everything with Disney+ was flawless though. Right out of the gate, it was missing features like a "continue watching" feature, something every streaming service should have. Additionally, Day One was a mess, as Disney didn't anticipate so many people trying to get on the service at the same time. Then there were smaller things like early episodes of The Simpsons being in widescreen, when they should have been in 3:4 ratio, and because of the zoom in to fit widescreen, some visual gags were missed.

　　Comparatively, Disney+ was a well-thought out and pristinely planned launch and service, and it deserved all the hype behind it. Apple TV+ was a hasty power-play, trying to beat Disney to market with a skin-and-bones catalogue to offer its customers. These were two services on opposite sides of the coin.

　　

The Niche Services

There are plenty of streaming services that cater to an audience outside of the mainstream. The most-notable of these services are Shudder, DC Universe, and the WWE Network. Shudder continues to be a service that is a must-have for horror fans. In 2019, Shudder launched more original and exclusive content to its service, and it's the best place to watch indie and foreign horror. This past year, the service premiered its original series Creepshow, which has been a loving--and entertaining--homage to the original film. If Creepshow is any indication, 2020 is going to be a great year for Shudder.

　　DC Universe's future seems to be in question--as there were rumblings earlier this year that the service would shut down with HBO Max on the horizon--which is a crazy thought as 2019 was such a good year for the service's original programming, including the animated series Harley Quinn, the canceled Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, Young Justice: Outsiders, and a new season of Titans. Alongside the original programming, DC Universe added tens of thousands of comic books to read to its service as well. If you're a fan of comic books, DC Universe continues to be a must-have service. And in 2020, a new season of Doom Patrol will debut on DC Universe and on HBO Max after it launches, so more people will have a chance to see what this service has to offer, but will they subscribe?

　　Wrestling fans continued to sink their money into the WWE Network in 2019. This past year, it got a much-needed facelift, but it struggled to provide consistently good content outside of streaming PPVs and being able to watch old wrestling shows. Yes, there is still original content, but there aren't many standouts from the past year. What's more, WWE doesn't seem willing to stick with any of the original content it does come up with--outside of ongoing documentary specials--leaving the service without much diversity, where types of shows are concerned. The $10 a month price tag is worth it if you plan on watching PPVs as they air, but customers are surely wanting something more from it.

　　2019 was a big year for streaming. Aside from the aforementioned services, there are plenty of others that have their own merits and flaws: YouTube Premium has Cobra Kai--one of the best shows "on TV"--CBS All Access had a solid year with great shows like The Twilight Zone, and The Criterion Channel allows its users to access critically-acclaimed movies you can't find anywhere else. However, these services are one-trick ponies that don't offer too much else.

　　There is now too much to choose from when it comes to streaming services, as the vast majority of them offer up at least one must-see series. For those who have cut the cord from cable and satellite providers, you may find yourself paying the same price as cable for all of these services each month. So 2020 will mark the era of picking and choosing rather than subscribing to everything. But all of these services will be vying for your attention, and it's going to be a tough--and day-to-day---decision to figure out what is worth your money.

　　Mat Elfring on Google+