Is Netflix Still the Best?
Some days (or every day if you're like me) all you want to do when you get home from school is watch your favorite show and relax. Maybe you pull up Netflix to binge The Office, Criminal Minds, and Victorious or maybe you launch Disney+ and rewatch some of the best throwbacks like Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. With so many streaming services today, it can be difficult to choose but what what do SUA students prefer?
Netflix is one of the original streaming services and overall the preferred choice of SUA students based on votes and polls. It has an extensive collection of movies and shows as well as lots of acclaimed original content including Stranger Things and Orange is the New Black. 79.2% of students said it was their favorite because of the variety, new additions, its ability to download shows to watch offline, and the accessibility. It also has many of the shows students love to watch.
While about 46.1% of the students polled have Hulu, only 14 said it was their favorite. Hulu is mostly known for the TV shows it carries including entertainment from ABC, Fox, and NBC but this service is flawed by its commercials. Senior Katie Lutmer explains, “Hulu is my favorite because it has a huge selection of TV shows and they come out quickly after the air date on TV.” One nice feature for college students is that Hulu and Spotify have teamed up to offer a bundle for $5 per month, including access to Spotify Premium and Hulu.
Another streaming service many students have, 74.4% of the 168 students polled, but don’t list as their top choice is Amazon Prime Video, which is included with Amazon Prime. Similar to Netflix, it has a wide selection with original shows but the viewer must still pay for some of the movies. Junior Megan Lang likes this option because “it has every show you could ever imagine and it’s free with Amazon Prime “
A recent addition to the plethora of streaming services is Disney+, which dropped November 12, 2019. Due to its recent release, only 15.5% of students have this option. This is one of the least expensive video-streaming services offered and includes Disney Channel shows and movies, Pixar and Marvel movies, Star Wars films, and many other options to binge. It is simply a great option for families and anyone who has grown up watching Disney. As senior Isabella Glynn says, “I love Disney, so I love having all the tv shows and movies all in one place! It makes them all easily accessible!”
Despite the announcement that many of Netflix’s most popular shows such as The Office, Friends, and Parks and Recreation will soon be leaving, the platform will continue to be used by SUA students to destress after a hard day at school. It was obvious favorite of those polled, with 79.2% stating it was their top choice. Streaming services will continue to add and lose new content but it will be difficult for any to replace Netflix in the hearts of SUA students.