streaming

Under a Paramount-WBD merger, two struggling media giants would unite

acquisitions, cable, HBO Max, mergers, netflix, paramount plus, Paramount Skydance, Policy, streaming, Tech, warner bros. discovery / Paul Patrick / February 27, 2026

A successful Paramount-WBD merger would be the largest streaming merger ever and would lead to further consolidation in the industry.

“What started as a fragmented but flexible streaming ecosystem is increasingly trending toward rebundling—fewer, larger super-platforms offering broader catalogues at higher price points,” Mathur said.

Paramount holds on to cable

Paramount’s WBD bid is unique in its aggressive push for cable channels, which are struggling with viewership and advertising revenue. Under a WBD merger, Paramount would add networks like HGTV, Cartoon Network, TLC, and CNN to its linear TV lineup, which currently includes Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and CBS.

Although Paramount and WBD’s cable businesses are both in decline, they are both profitable. Paramount’s TV/media business, which includes its cable channels and production studios, reported $1.1 billion in adjusted OIBDA in Q4 2025. WBD’s cable business posted adjusted EBITDA of $1.41 billion that quarter.

Ultimately, a Paramount-WBD merger would put diversity of viewpoints at risk. Under Ellison’s ownership, CBS News has adjusted its approach with new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. There have also been concerns about censoring CBS under Ellison’s Paramount, including from Stephen Colbert, who said this month that CBS forbade him from interviewing Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico; CBS denied Colbert’s claim. Further, Paramount could have a lasting impact on CNN, including costs, layoffs, and coverage.

More to come

Regulatory scrutiny will be at the center of Paramount and WBD’s merger over the upcoming months. Federal approval is likely, but the merger also faces European regulation and potential state lawsuits. The theater industry is also lobbying against Paramount’s WBD merger.

Should a Paramount-WBD merger ultimately be greenlit, two declining businesses will be challenged to form a profitable one. Even with regulatory approval, Paramount-Skydance-Warner-Bros.-Discovery faces an uphill climb.

Although the bidding war may be settled, the fight for WBD is only beginning.

Under a Paramount-WBD merger, two struggling media giants would unite Read More »

Netflix cedes Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount: “No longer financially attractive”

acquisitions, cable, HBO Max, mergers, netflix, paramount, paramount plus, Paramount Skydance, Policy, streaming, Tech, warner bros. discovery / Tim Belzer / February 27, 2026

On Thursday, WBD’s board deemed Paramount’s revamped offer “superior,” giving Netflix four business days to match it. But that same day, Netflix, which had recently emphasized its willingness to walk away from mergers it deems overly expensive, said it would no longer pursue the acquisition.

A statement from Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters issued last night said:

The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.

The CEOs added that the WBD merger “was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.”

Netflix and Paramount’s stock have continuously declined since Netflix announced its planned merger. Following yesterday’s announcement, Netflix shares rose by more than 10 percent in after-hours trading, and Paramount shares increased by 5 percent.

In a statement quoted by The Hollywood Reporter yesterday, WBD President and CEO David Zaslav said, “Once our board votes to adopt the Paramount merger agreement, it will create tremendous value for our shareholders. We are excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery and can’t wait to get started working together telling the stories that move the world.”

The article was edited to correct ticking fee information.

Netflix cedes Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount: “No longer financially attractive” Read More »

WBD says Paramount’s new, higher offer could be “superior” to Netflix’s

acquisitions, HBO Max, mergers, netflix, Paramount Skydance, streaming, Tech, warner bros. discovery / Rejus Almole / February 24, 2026

Paramount Skydance increased its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) from $30 per share to $31 per share, WBD said today. Amid a competing offer from Netflix for WBD’s movie studios and streaming businesses, WBD said that Paramount’s new bid “could reasonably be expected to lead to a ‘Company Superior Proposal.’”

Under its revamped offer, Paramount would also pay the $7 billion regulatory termination fee that would arise should a Paramount-WBD merger fail to close due to antitrust regulation.

The company owned by David Ellison also said it would pay $0.25 per share for every day the deal doesn’t close, starting on September 30, rather than the previous start date of December 31.

Paramount previously agreed to pay the $2.8 billion termination fee that WBD would be subject to if it canceled its merger deal with Netflix.

Netflix has offered $27.75 per share for a smaller part of WBD’s overall business. Netflix is looking to pay all-cash for WBD’s film studios, intellectual property, HBO, and streaming services, including HBO Max, but not any of WBD’s other cable channels.

WBD’s board has not decided if Paramount’s revamped offer is better than what Netflix has offered. If the board makes that determination, Netflix will have four days to present a better offer.

It’s unclear if Netflix would be willing to pay more for WBD’s streaming and movie businesses than what it’s already offered. The streaming giant hasn’t commented on Paramount’s new offer yet, but on Friday, co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Variety that the people in charge of Netflix are “super-disciplined buyers.”

“We have a reputation for such so that I’m willing to walk away and let someone else overpay for things. We have a rich history of that,” he added.

Regardless of the ultimate buyer, any WBD merger is expected to face intense regulatory scrutiny, lead to higher subscription prices, and have a lasting impact on Hollywood.

WBD says Paramount’s new, higher offer could be “superior” to Netflix’s Read More »

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive

HBO Max, netflix, paramount plus, Paramount Skydance, streaming, Tech / Rejus Almole / February 3, 2026

There is concern that subscribers might be negatively affected if Netflix acquires Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD’s) streaming and movie studios businesses. One of the biggest fears is that the merger would lead to higher prices due to Netflix having less competition. During a Senate hearing today, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos suggested that the merger would have an opposite effect.

Sarandos was speaking at a hearing held by the US Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, “Examining the Competitive Impact of the Proposed Netflix-Warner Brothers Transaction.”

Sarandos aimed to convince the subcommittee that Netflix wouldn’t become a monopoly in streaming or in movie and TV production if regulators allowed its acquisition to close. Netflix is the largest subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) provider by subscribers (301.63 million as of January 2025), and WBD is the third (128 million streaming subscribers, including users of HBO Max and, to a smaller degree, Discovery+).

Speaking at today’s hearing, Sarandos said:

Netflix and Warner Bros. both have streaming services, but they are very complementary. In fact, 80 percent of HBO Max subscribers also subscribe to Netflix. We will give consumers more content for less.

During the hearing, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) asked Sarandos how Netflix can ensure that streaming remains “affordable” after a merger, especially after Netflix issued a price hike in January 2025 despite it adding more subscribers.

Sarandos said the streaming industry is still competitive. The executive claimed that previous Netflix price hikes have come with “a lot more value” for subscribers.

“We are a one-click cancel, so if the consumer says, ‘That’s too much for what I’m getting,’ they can cancel with one click,” Sarandos said.

When pressed further on pricing, the executive argued that the merger doesn’t pose “any concentration risk” and that Netflix is working with the US Department of Justice on potential guardrails against more price hikes.

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive Read More »

Streaming service Crunchyroll raises prices weeks after killing its free tier

acquisitions, anime, Sony, streaming, Tech / Tim Belzer / February 2, 2026

Crunchyroll is one of the most popular streaming platforms for anime viewers. Over the past six years, the service has raised prices for fans, and today, it announced that it’s increasing monthly subscription prices by up to 20 percent.

Sony bought Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2020. At the time, Crunchyroll had 3 million paid subscribers and an additional 197 million users with free accounts, which let people watch a limited number of titles with commercials. At the time, Crunchyroll monthly subscription tiers cost $8, $10, or $15.

After its acquisition by Sony, like many large technology companies that buy a smaller, beloved product, the company made controversial changes. The Tokyo-based company folded rival Funimation into Crunchyroll; Sony shut down Funimation, which it bought in 2017, in April 2024.

In the process, Sony erased people’s digital Funimation libraries that Funimation originally marketed as being available “forever, but there are some restrictions.” Sony also reduced the number of free titles on Crunchyroll in 2022 before eliminating the free option completely on December 31, 2025.

Crunchyroll gets more expensive

Today, Crunchyroll raised prices for its remaining tiers. The cheapest plan, Fan, went from $8 per month to $10 per month. The Mega tier, which allows for streaming from up to four devices simultaneously, went from $12 to $14. The Ultra tier, which supports simultaneous streaming across six devices and includes access to the Crunchyroll Manga app, increased from $16 to $18.

Current subscribers will see the changes after March 4. Crunchyroll is charging new customers the higher prices immediately.

Crunchyroll last increased prices in May 2024, when its Mega tier went from $10 to $12 and its Ultimate tier from $15 to $16. The Fan tier’s last price hike was in 2019.

Crunchyroll said that the higher prices would “give fans more of what they love.” Today’s announcement pointed to “recent and upcoming” changes: teen profiles and PIN protection; multiple profiles; the ability to skip intro theme songs and ending credits; and “expanded device compatibility.”

Streaming service Crunchyroll raises prices weeks after killing its free tier Read More »

Reports of ad-supported Xbox game streams show Microsoft’s lack of imagination

cloud gaming, game streaming, gaming, streaming, xboxmicrosoft / Tim Belzer / January 19, 2026

You can do better than that

That’s a moderately useful option for cloud-curious Xbox players that might not be willing to take the plunge on a monthly subscription, we suppose. But it also feels like Microsoft could come up with some more imaginative ways to use Cloud Gaming to reach occasional players in new ways.

What’s stopping Microsoft from offer streaming players a 30-minute timed demo stream of any available Xbox Cloud Gaming title—perhaps in exchange for watching a short ad, or perhaps simply as an Xbox Live Arcade-style sales juicing tactic? Or why not offer discounted access to a streaming-only Game Pass subscription for players willing to watch occasional ads, like Netflix? Microsoft could even let players spend a couple of bucks to rent a digital copy of the title for a few days, much as services like iTunes do for newer films.

Those are just a few ideas off the top of our heads. And they all feel potentially more impactful than using ads as a way to let Xbox players stream copies of games they already purchased.

Back in 2019, we noted how Stadia’s strictly buy-before-you-play streaming business model limited the appeal of what ended up as a doomed cloud-gaming experiment. Microsoft should take some lessons from Google’s failure and experiment with new ways to use streaming to reach players that might not have access to the latest high-end hardware for their gaming experiences.

Reports of ad-supported Xbox game streams show Microsoft’s lack of imagination Read More »

Spotify’s 3rd price hike in 2.5 years hints at potential new normal

Apps, music, Spotify, streaming, Tech / Mike M. / January 15, 2026

After a dozen years of keeping subscription prices stable, Spotify has issued three price hikes in 2.5 years.

Spotify informed subscribers via email today that Premium monthly subscriptions would go from $12 to $13 per month as of users’ February billing date. Spotify is already advertising the higher prices to new subscribers.

Although not explicitly mentioned in Spotify’s correspondence, other plans are getting more expensive, too. Student monthly subscriptions are going from $6 to $7. Duo monthly plans, for two accounts in the same household, are going from $17 to $19, and Family plans, for up to six users, are moving from $20 to $22.

Spotify’s Basic plan, which is only available as a downgrade for some Premium subscribers and is $11/month, is unaffected.

For years, Spotify subscribers enjoyed stable prices, but today’s announcement marks Spotify’s third price hike since July 2023. Spotify last raised prices in July 2024. Premium individual subscriptions went from $11 to $12, Duo subscriptions went from $15 to $17, and Family subscriptions increased from $17 to $20.

In 2024, Spotify blamed the higher prices on its need to “invest in and innovate on our product features.” Today, it said:

Occasional updates to pricing across our markets reflect the value that Spotify delivers, enabling us to continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists.

The reasoning offered is vague, but some features that Spotify recently implemented include the addition of lossless audio in November, music videos in December, and new Messages features (one that lets you share your listening activity with friends and one that lets you request joint listening sessions called Jams) earlier this month. It also opened an 11,000-square-foot podcast studio in Hollywood this month.

Spotify’s 3rd price hike in 2.5 years hints at potential new normal Read More »

Federal data underscores meteoric rise of streaming subscription prices in 2025

department of labor, streaming, Tech / Tim Belzer / January 14, 2026

The prices that Americans paid for subscription- and rental-based access to video streaming services and video games increased 29 percent from December 2024 to December 2025, according to data that the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released on Tuesday.

According to the BLS, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which BLS says represents over 90 percent of the US population across the country, for all items “increased 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.”

The CPI-U for “subscription and rental of video and video games” includes subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming services, like Netflix and Disney+, and “one-time rental of video and video game media. These may be rented or subscribed to through physical copy, streaming, or temporary download,” BLS says. For comparison, “cable, satellite, and live streaming television service [such as YouTube TV and Sling]” saw 4.9 percent inflation last year.

The index isn’t adjusted for the “effect of changes that normally occur at the same time and in about the same magnitude every year—such as price movements resulting from changing climatic conditions, production cycles, model changeovers, holidays, and sales,” per BLS. According to the federal agency, unadjusted data is “of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices they actually pay.”

From November 2025 to December 2025 alone, subscription and rental of video and video games saw adjusted inflation of 19.5 percent, per BLS data.

Streaming and gaming subscriptions and rentals saw higher inflation in 2025 than any of the other CPI-U subcategories, which includes food. In that larger context, instant coffee (28 percent) saw the next highest inflation, followed by roasted coffee (18.7 percent), and uncooked beef steaks (17.8 percent).

Federal data underscores meteoric rise of streaming subscription prices in 2025 Read More »

Paramount sues WBD over Netflix deal. WBD says Paramount’s price is still inadequate.

cable, merger, netflix, paramount, Policy, streaming, Tech, warner bros. discovery / Paul Patrick / January 12, 2026

Paramount Skydance escalated its hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) today by filing a lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court against WBD, declaring its intention to fight Netflix’s acquisition.

In December, WBD agreed to sell its streaming and movie businesses to Netflix for $82.7 billion. The deal would see WBD’s Global Networks division, comprised of WBD’s legacy cable networks, spun out into a separate company called Discovery Global. But in December, Paramount submitted a hostile takeover bid and amended its bid for WBD. Subsequently, the company has aggressively tried to convince WBD’s shareholders that its $108.4 billion offer for all of WBD is superior to the Netflix deal.

Today, Paramount CEO David Ellison wrote a letter to WBD shareholders informing them of Paramount’s lawsuit. The lawsuit requests the court to force WBD to disclose “how it valued the Global Networks stub equity, how it valued the overall Netflix transaction, how the purchase price reduction for debt works in the Netflix transaction, or even what the basis is for its ‘risk adjustment’” of Paramount’s $30 per share all-cash offer. Netflix’s offer equates to $27.72 per share, including $23.25 in cash and shares of Netflix common stock. Paramount hopes the information will encourage more WBD shareholders to tender their shares under Paramount’s offer by the January 21 deadline.

Before WBD announced the Netflix deal, Paramount publicly questioned the fairness of WBD’s bidding process. Paramount has since argued that its bid wasn’t given fair consideration or negotiation.

In his letter today, Ellison wrote:

We remain perplexed that WBD never responded to our December 4th offer, never attempted to clarify or negotiate any of the terms in that proposal, nor traded markups of contracts with us. Even as we read WBD’s own narrative of its process, we are struck that there were few actual board meetings in the period leading up to the decision to accept an inferior transaction with Netflix. And we are surprised by the lack of transparency on WBD’s part regarding basic financial matters. It just doesn’t add up – much like the math on how WBD continues to favor taking less than our $30 per share all-cash offer for its shareholders.

Additionally, Paramount plans to nominate board directors for election at WBD’s annual shareholder meeting who will fight against the Netflix deal’s approval. The window for nominations opens in three weeks, Ellison’s letter noted.

Paramount sues WBD over Netflix deal. WBD says Paramount’s price is still inadequate. Read More »

“Streaming stops feeling infinite”: What subscribers can expect in 2026

HBO Max, netflix, paramount plus, Paramount Skydance, streaming, Tech, warner bros. discovery / Paul Patrick / January 1, 2026

Spoiler: expect higher prices

Streaming may get a little worse before it gets better.

We’re far from streaming’s original promise: instant access to beloved and undiscovered titles without the burden of ads, bundled services, or price gouging that have long been associated with cable.

Still, every year we get more dependent on streaming for entertainment. Despite streaming services’ flaws, many of us are bound to keep subscribing to at least one service next year. Here’s what we can expect in 2026 and beyond.

Subscription prices keep rising, but perhaps not as expected

There’s virtually no hope of streaming subscription prices plateauing in 2026. Streaming companies continue to face challenges as content production and licensing costs rise, and it’s often easier to get current customers to pay slightly more than to acquire new subscribers. Meanwhile, many streaming companies are still struggling with profitability and revenue after spending years focusing on winning subscribers with content.

“We see many services are only now aligning content spend with realistic lifetime value per subscriber,” Christofer Hamilton, industry insights manager at streaming analyst Parrot Analytics, told Ars.

Companies may get more creative with how they frame higher costs to subscribers, however. People who pay extra to stream without ads are the most likely to see price bumps as streaming companies continue pushing customers toward ad-based tiers.

Charging more for “premium” features—such as 4K streaming, simultaneous streams, or offline downloads—offers another way for streaming companies to boost revenue without implementing broad price hikes that risk provoking customer outrage. Subscribers can expect streaming prices to get “more menu-like next year,” said Michael Goodman, director of entertainment research at Parks Associates, a research firm focusing on IoT, consumer electronics, and entertainment.

When will the price hikes stop?

If streaming prices won’t stop rising next year, when will they?

Ultimately, it may be up to subscribers to vote with their dollars by canceling subscriptions or opting for cheaper or free alternatives, such as FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) channels with linear programming.

As Goodman put it, “Until we see net adds stall or decline as a result of price hikes, services have no incentive to stop raising prices.”

Some experts doubt that streaming services will ever willingly stop increasing prices. Bill Yousman, professor and director of the Media Literacy and Digital Culture graduate program at Sacred Heart University, sees precedent for this in cable companies.

“If the big streaming companies had their way, there would be no limit to their price hikes. We have already seen this with the cable monopolies and their disregard for consumer dissatisfaction,” he said.

Yousman believes that prices will only “be brought under control if there is some type of government regulation,” but he noted that’s unlikely under the Trump administration.

To date, US lawmakers haven’t shown interest in halting the steady rise of streaming prices. Most lawmakers who have sought to regulate the industry have focused on industry consolidation. There has been some effort from lawmakers to rein in streaming price hikes, though, especially through proposed federal legislation dubbed the Price Gouging Prevention Act.

Streaming services lean deeper into cable-like bundles

Companies will look to leverage subscribers’ frustration with pricing by being more aggressive about bundling third-party services like traditional pay TV, Internet, and cell phone service with streaming subscriptions. The idea is that people are less likely to cancel a streaming subscription if it’s tied to a different subscription (including another streaming subscription). The strategy echoes the days of cable, when some people kept unused landlines just to save money on cable channels or Internet service.

“For subscribers, 2026 is the year streaming stops feeling infinite and starts feeling more like premium cable used to: fewer apps, clearer bundles, and higher expectations for each service they pay for,” Parrot’s Hamilton said.

Thanks to traditional pay TV providers, bundles have a bad connotation among people looking to save money and simplify their subscriptions. But bundling doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, as Yousman explains:

If the companies wanted to really be responsive to consumers, they would let them design their own packages rather than having to choose options that may or may not include all the services they want. What works against this, of course, is the demand for ever-increasing profits at all times.

Should a sale of Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD’s) HBO Max be completed (late) next year, subscribers will face more pressure to bundle their streaming subscriptions.

“When dominant platforms like Netflix or Paramount absorb major content players, it accelerates the erosion of streaming’s original promise: freedom from monopolistic bundles,” Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of streaming technology provider Future Today, said.

Netflix and Paramount duke it out over Warner Bros.

WBD announced plans this month to sell its streaming and movie studios business to Netflix for an equity value of $72 billion, or an approximate total enterprise value of $82.7 billion. Paramount Skydance, however, quickly swooped in with a hostile takeover bid for all of WBD, including its cable channels, for $108.4 billion. A WBD shareholder vote will occur in spring or early summer, chairman Samuel Di Piazza told CNBC. By the end of 2026, we should have a clearer understanding of the future of HBO Max, as well as Netflix and Paramount+.

Any acquisition will be subject to regulatory scrutiny, causing more uncertainty for subscribers. If Netflix buys HBO Max, users of both services can expect higher prices due to reduced competition and the extensive amount of content and number of big-budget franchises (including Harry Potter and DC Comics) expected to unite under one platform.

“If Netflix gets [HBO Max] and the WB studios, HBO Max subscribers are more likely to see a smoother transition, strong ongoing investment in premium content, and simpler app/billing integration,” Parks Associates’ Goodman said.

But while the potential merger is worth watching, subscribers are unlikely to truly feel the impact of HBO Max potentially changing ownership until after 2026.

“Producing a show is a yearslong process, so the content that was already slated to air isn’t going to disappear, and the new content acquired through the WB library won’t be available until the merger is approved and closes,” Tre Lovell, attorney and owner of Los Angeles entertainment law firm The Lovell Firm, explained.

Content starts getting less bold

Looking beyond 2026, a sale of part or all of WBD would likely open the door for more streaming acquisitions. That could eventually benefit customers by making it easier to find content to watch with fewer subscriptions. But merged companies are also less likely to take risks on unique and diverse content.

Analysts I spoke with pointed to fewer niche and mid-tier original shows and movies and more show cancellations if either Netflix or Paramount buys HBO Max. Either buyer would probably focus more on the already-successful franchises that WB owns, such as Game of Thrones, Batman, and Superman.

“Big combined libraries push companies to double down on proven IP because it travels, merchandises, and reduces marketing risk,” said Robert Rosenberg, a partner at the New York law firm Moses Singer focusing on intellectual property, entertainment, technology, and data law.

Rosenberg also expects to see a “tilt toward” live events, sports, and unscripted content “for retention” if HBO Max sells.

In the shorter term, Rory Gooderick, research manager at analyst firm Ampere Analysis, predicted that WBD will be “cautious when greenlighting new large-scale projects until” the acquisition is finalized.

Beyond the potential HBO Max sale, more merger activity could lead to streaming services straying from their original selling point of offering bolder, quirkier content.

As the industry consolidates, “sticky content,” like procedurals, reality shows, and “comfort TV that drives long viewing sessions,” will take priority among mainstream, subscription-based streaming services, especially as they put more emphasis on ad-tier subscriptions, Goodman predicted.

A more stable future?

The new year will be formative for streaming and yield lasting impacts for subscribers. We’ve discussed numerous negative implications, but there could be a silver lining. While we may see more turbulence, hopefully, we’ll also start to see a road toward more stable streaming options.

Streaming subscribers can’t directly stop mergers or price hikes or control streaming libraries. But with services like Netflix and Disney+ focusing on becoming one-stop shops with massive libraries, there’s an opportunity for other services to hone their specialties and stand out by providing offbeat, unexpected, and rare content at more affordable prices.

As the landscape settles, streamers should be mindful of the importance of variety to subscribers. According to Bill Michels, chief product officer at Gracenote, Nielsen’s content data business unit:

There will be some consolidation. But the [connected TV] landscape, inclusive of FAST and [direct-to-consumer] channels, provides more than ample video variety for viewers, so the biggest challenge will be connecting content with the right audience. Audience engagement depends on good content. Audience retention depends on making sure audiences are never without something to watch.

Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She’s been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Tom’s Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK.

“Streaming stops feeling infinite”: What subscribers can expect in 2026 Read More »

Peacock showing ads upon launch opens the door for more disruptive streaming ads

ads, nbcuniversal, peacock, streaming, Tech / Kris Guyer / December 18, 2025

Peacock subscribers will see ads immediately upon opening the streaming app or website next year. It’s a bold new strategy for attracting advertisers—something that’s been increasingly important to subscription-based streaming services—but it also risks alienating viewers

As reported by Variety, the new type of ads will display on the profile selection page that shows when a subscriber launches Peacock. Starting next year, instead of the profile page just showing your different Peacock profiles, most of the page will be dominated by an advertorial image. The circles of NBCUniversal-owned characters selected for user profiles will be relegated to a vertical column on the screen’s left side, as you can see here.

To avoid seeing what NBCUniversal is calling “Arrival Ads” every time you open Peacock, you need to subscribe to Peacock’s most expensive plan, which is ad-free and starts at $17 per month (Peacock’s ad-based plans start at $8/month.)

NBCUniversal’s announcement claims that Peacock will be the first streaming service to implement this type of ad. But that may not be the brag the entertainment giant thinks it is, as subscribers may quickly find the startup ads disruptive.

Peacock isn’t making money

Over the past couple of years, it’s become increasingly important for streaming services to generate revenue beyond subscription fees. Peacock and many other streaming services have struggled with profitability after spending years focusing on pricey content production and licensing to attract subscribers.

For its part, Peacock has 41 million subscribers and isn’t profitable. In its most recent quarterly earnings report, shared in October, NBCUniversal parent company Comcast reported that the service lost $217 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, compared to losing $436 million in the same quarter in 2024. At the same time, Peacock has struggled to grow viewership and has had the same number of subscribers since Q1 2025. In Q1 2024, Peacock had 31 million subscribers.

Peacock showing ads upon launch opens the door for more disruptive streaming ads Read More »

How to break free from smart TV ads and tracking

ads, Features, streaming, Tech, TVs / Mike M. / December 13, 2025

The Ars guide to “dumb” TVs

Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options.

Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images

Smart TVs can feel like a dumb choice if you’re looking for privacy, reliability, and simplicity.

Today’s TVs and streaming sticks are usually loaded up with advertisements and user tracking, making offline TVs seem very attractive. But ever since smart TV operating systems began making money, “dumb” TVs have been hard to find.

In response, we created this non-smart TV guide that includes much more than dumb TVs. Since non-smart TVs are so rare, this guide also breaks down additional ways to watch TV and movies online and locally without dealing with smart TVs’ evolution toward software-centric features and snooping. We’ll discuss a range of options suitable for various budgets, different experience levels, and different rooms in your home.

Table of Contents

Our best recommendation

This is a dumb TV guide, but first, let’s briefly highlight the best recommendation for most people: Take your TV offline and plug in an Apple TV box.

The Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote. — Your best option. Credit: Jeff Dunn

An Apple TV lets you replace smart TV software with Apple’s cleaner tvOS, and it’s more intuitive than using most smart TVs and other streaming devices. Apple’s tvOS usually runs faster and more reliably, and it isn’t riddled with distracting ads or recommendations. And there’s virtually no learning curve for family members or visitors, something that can’t always be said for DIY alternatives.

Critically, Apple TV boxes are also an easy recommendation on the privacy front. The setup process makes it simple for anyone to ensure that the device is using relatively minimal user tracking. You’re likely to use an Apple TV box with the Apple TV app or with an Apple account, which means sending some data to Apple. But Apple has a better reputation for keeping user information in-house, and Apple TV boxes don’t have automatic content recognition (ACR).

For more information, read my previous article on why Apple TVs are privacy advocates’ go-to streaming device.

Differing from other smart TV alternatives in this guide (such as a laptop), you don’t have to worry about various streaming services’ requirements for streaming in 4K or HDR with an Apple TV. But you still have to make sure your display and HDMI cable are HDCP 2.2-compliant and that you’re using HDMI 2.0 or better if you want to watch 4K or HDR content. You could even connect network-attached storage (NAS) to your Apple TV box so you can stream files from the storage device.

Plus, using a smart TV offline means you’ll have access to the latest and greatest display technologies, which is generally not the case for dumb TVs.

Things to keep in mind

One common concern about using smart TVs offline is the fear that the TV will repeatedly nag you to connect to the Internet. I’ve seen some reports of this happening over the years, but generally speaking, this doesn’t seem to be expected behavior. If you can’t find a way to disable TV notifications, try contacting support.

You may want your offline TV to keep LAN access so you can still use some smart TV features, like phone mirroring or streaming from a NAS. In this case, you can use your router (if supported) to block your TV’s IP address from connecting to the Internet.

And Google TV users should remember to set their TV to “basic TV” mode, which lets you use the TV without connecting to the Internet.

Dumb TVs are endangered

Buying a TV that doesn’t connect to the Internet is an obvious solution to avoiding smart TV tracking and ads, but that’s much easier said than done.

Smart TV OSes help TV-makers stay afloat in an industry with thin margins on hardware. Not only do they provide ad space, but they also give OS operators and their partners information on how people use their TVs—data that is extremely valuable to advertisers. Additionally, mainstream acceptance of the Internet of Things has led many people to expect their TVs to have integrated Wi-Fi. These factors have all made finding a dumb TV difficult, especially in the US.

Dumb TVs sold today have serious image and sound quality tradeoffs, simply because companies don’t make dumb versions of their high-end models. On the image side, you can expect lower resolutions, sizes, and brightness levels and poorer viewing angles. You also won’t find premium panel technologies like OLED. If you want premium image quality or sound, you’re better off using a smart TV offline. Dumb TVs also usually have shorter (one-year) warranties.

Any display or system you end up using needs HDCP 2.2 compliance to play 4K or HDR content via a streaming service or any other DRM-protected 4K or HDR media, like a Blu-ray disc.

Best ways to find a dumb TV

Below are the brands I’ve identified as most likely to have dumb TVs available for purchase online as of this writing.

Emerson

I was able to find the greatest number of non-smart TVs from Emerson. Emerson is a Parsippany, New Jersey, electronics company that was founded in 1948.

As of this writing, Emerson’s dumb TV options range from 7-inch portable models to 50-inch 4K TVs. Its TVs are relatively easy to get since they’re sold directly and through various online retailers, including Amazon, Home Depot, Best Buy, and, for some reason, Shein.

Westinghouse

Another company still pushing non-smart TVs is Westinghouse, a Pittsburgh-headquartered company founded in 1886. In addition to other types of electronics and home goods, Westinghouse also has an industrial business that includes nuclear fuel.

Westinghouse’s dumb TVs max out at 32 inches and 720p resolution, but some of them also have a built-in DVD player. You can find Westinghouse’s dumb TVs on Amazon. However, Westinghouse seems to have the most dubious reputation of these brands based on online chatter.

Sceptre

Sceptre, a Walmart brand, still has a handful of dumb TVs available. I’ve noticed inventory dwindle in recent months, but Walmart usually has at least one Sceptre dumb TV available.

Amazon search

Outside the above brands, your best bet for finding a non-smart TV is Amazon. I’ve had success searching for “dumb TVs” and have found additional results by searching for a “non-smart TV.”

Projectors

For now, it’s not hard to find a projector that doesn’t connect to the Internet or track user activity. And there are options that are HDCP 2.2-compliant so you can project in 4K and HDR.

Things to keep in mind

Projectors aren’t for everyone. They still require dim rooms and a decent amount of physical space to produce the best image. (To see how much space you need for a projector, I recommend RTINGS’ handy throw calculator.)

The smart-tech bug has come for projectors, too, though, and we’ve started seeing more smart projectors released over the past two years.

Computer monitors

If you want a dumb display for watching TV, it’s cheaper to buy a smart TV and keep it offline than it is to get a similarly specced computer monitor. But there are benefits to using a monitor instead of a dumb TV or an offline smart TV. (Of course, this logic doesn’t carry over to “smart monitors.”)

When it comes to smaller screens, you’ll have more options if you look at monitors instead of TVs. This is especially true if you want premium features, like high refresh rates or quality speakers, which are hard to find among TVs that are under 42 inches.

Monitor vendors are typically more forthcoming about product specs than TV makers are. It’s hard to find manufacturer claims about a TV’s color gamut, color accuracy, or typical brightness, but a computer monitor’s product page usually has all this information. It’s also easier to find a monitor with professional-grade color accuracy than a TV with the same, and some monitors have integrated calibration tools.

Things to keep in mind

Newer and advanced types of display technologies are rarer in monitors. This includes OLED, Mini LED, and Micro RGB. And if you buy a new monitor, you’ll probably need to supply your own speakers.

A computer monitor isn’t a TV, so there’s no TV tuner or way to use an antenna. If you really wanted to, you could get a cable box to work with a monitor with the right ports or adapters. People are streaming more than they’re watching broadcast and cable channels, though, so you may not mind the lack of traditional TV capabilities.

Digital signage

Digital signage displays are purpose-built for displaying corporate messages, often for all or most hours of the day. They typically have features that people don’t need for TV watching, such as content management software. And due to their durability and warranty needs, digital signage displays are often more expensive than similarly specced computer monitors.

Again, it’s important to ensure that the digital signage is HDCP 2.2-compliant if you plan to watch 4K or HDR.

Things to keep in mind

But if you happen to come across a digital signage display that’s the right size and the right price, is there any real reason why you shouldn’t use it as a TV? I asked Panasonic, which makes digital signage. A spokesperson from Panasonic Connect North America told me that digital signage displays are made to be on for 16 to 24 hours per day and with high brightness levels to accommodate “retail and public environments.”

The spokesperson added:

Their rugged construction and heat management systems make them ideal for demanding commercial use, but these same features can result in higher energy consumption, louder operation, and limited compatibility with home entertainment systems.

Panasonic’s representative also pointed out that real TVs offer consumer-friendly features for watching TV, like “home-optimized picture tuning, simplified audio integration, and user-friendly menu interfaces.”

If you’re fine with these caveats, though, and digital signage is your easiest option, there isn’t anything stopping you from using one to avoid smart TVs.

What to connect to your dumb TV

After you’ve settled on an offline display, you’ll need something to give it life. Below is a breakdown of the best things to plug into your dumb TV (or dumb display) so you can watch TV without your TV watching you.

Things to keep in mind

If you’re considering using an older device for TV, like a used laptop, make sure it’s HDCP 2.2-compliant if you want to watch 4K or HDR.

And although old systems and displays and single-board computers can make great dumb TV alternatives, remember that these devices need HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 or newer to support 4K at 60 Hz.

What to connect: a Phone

Before we get into more complex options for powering your dumb TV, let’s start with devices you may already own.

It’s possible to connect your phone to a dumb display, but doing so is harder than connecting a PC. You’d need an adapter, such as a USB-C (or Lightning) Digital AV Adapter.

You can use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to control the phone from afar. By activating Assistive Touch, I’ve even been able to use my iPhone with a mouse that claims not to support iOS. With an extra-long cable, you could potentially control the phone from your lap. That’s not the cleanest setup, though, and it would look odd in a family room.

Things to keep in mind

If your phone is outputting to your display, you can’t use it to check your email, read articles, or doomscroll while you watch TV. You can fix this by using a secondary phone as your streaming device.

If you’re using a phone to watch a streaming service, there’s a good chance you won’t be watching in 4K, even if your streaming subscription supports it. Netflix, for example, limits resolution to 1080p or less (depending on the model) for iPhones. HDR is supported across iPhone models but not with Android devices.

Screen mirroring doesn’t always work well with streaming services and phones. Netflix, for instance, doesn’t support AirPlay or Android phone casting. Disney+ supports Chromecast and AirPlay, but AirPlay won’t work if you subscribe to Disney+ with ads (due to “technical reasons”).

What to connect: A laptop

A laptop is an excellent smart TV alternative that’s highly customizable yet simple to deploy.

Most mainstream streaming providers that have dedicated smart TV apps, like Netflix and HBO Max, have PC versions of their apps. And most of those services are also available via web browsers, which work much better on computers than they do on smart TVs. You can also access local files—all via a user interface that you and anyone else watching TV is probably familiar with already.

With a tethered laptop, you can quickly set up a multi-picture view for watching two games or shows simultaneously. Multi-view support on streaming apps is extremely limited right now, with only Peacock and dedicated sports apps like ESPN and MLB TV offering it.

A laptop also lets you use your dumb TV for common PC tasks, like PC gaming or using productivity software (sometimes you just want to see that spreadsheet on a bigger screen).

Things to keep in mind

Streaming in 4K or HDR sometimes comes with specific requirements that are easy to overlook. Some streaming services, for example, won’t stream in 4K on certain web browsers—or with any web browser at all.

Streaming services sometimes have GPU requirements for 4K and HDR streaming. For example, to stream Netflix in 4K or HDR from a browser, you need Microsoft Edge and an Intel 7th Generation Core or AMD Ryzen CPU or better, plus the latest graphics drivers. Disney+ doesn’t allow 4K HDR streaming from any web browsers. Streaming 4K content in a web browser might also require you to acquire the HEVC/H.265 codec, depending on your system.

If 4K or HDR streaming is critical to you, it’s important to check your streaming providers’ 4K and HDR limits; it may be best to rely on a dedicated app.

If you want to be able to comfortably control your computer from a couch, you’ll also need to invest in some hardware or software. You can get away with a basic Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Air mice are another popular solution.

The WeChip W1 air mouse. Credit: WeChip/Amazon

If you don’t want extra gadgets taking up space, software like the popular Unified Remote (for iOS and Android) can turn your phone into a remote control for your computer. It also supports Wake-On-LAN.

You may encounter hiccups with streaming availability. Most streaming services available on smart TVs are also accessible via computers, but some aren’t. Many FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) services and channels, such as the Samsung TV Plus service and Filmrise FAST app and channel, are only available via smart TVs. And many streaming services’ apps, including Netflix and Disney+, aren’t available on macOS. If you’re using a very old computer, you might run into compatibility issues with streaming services. Netflix’s PC app, for example, requires Windows 10 or newer, and if you stream Netflix via a browser on a system running an older OS, you’re limited to SD resolution.

And while a laptop and dumb display setup can keep snooping TVs out of your home, there are obviously lots of user tracking and privacy concerns with web browsers, too. You can alleviate some concerns by researching the browsers you want to use for watching TV.

What to connect: A home theater PC

For a more permanent setup, consider a dedicated home theater PC (HTPC). They don’t require beefy, expensive specs and are more flexible than smart TV platforms in terms of software support and customization.

You can pick a system that fits on your living room console table, like a mini PC, or match your home’s aesthetics with a custom build. Raspberry Pis are a diminutive solution that you can dress up in a case and use for various additional tasks, like streaming games from your gaming PC to your TV or creating an AirPlay music server for streaming Spotify and other online music and local music to AirPlay-compatible speakers.

The right accessories can take an HTPC to the next level. You can use an app like TeamViewer or the more TV-remote-like Unified Remote to control your PC with your phone. But investing in dedicated hardware is worthwhile for long-term and multi-person use. Bluetooth keyboards and mice last a long time without needing a charge and can even be combined into one device.

K400 Plus Wireless Touch Keyboard — Logitech’s wireless K400 combines a keyboard with a touchpad. Credit: Logitech

Other popular options for HTPC control are air remotes and the Flirc USB, which plugs into a computer’s USB-A port to enable IR remote control. Speaking of USB ports, you could use them to connect a Blu-ray/DVD player or gaming controller to your HTPC. If you want to add support for live TV, you can still find PCIe over-the-air (OTA) tuner cards.

Helpful software for home theater PCs

With the right software, an HTPC can be more useful to a household than a smart TV. You probably already have some apps in mind for your ideal HTPC. That makes this a fitting time to discuss some solid software that you may not have initially considered or that would be helpful to recommend to other cord cutters.

If you have a lot of media files you’d like to easily navigate through on your HTPC, media server software, such as Plex Media Server, is a lifesaver. Plex specifically has an app streamlined for HTPC use. The company has taken some criticism recently due to changes like new remote access rules, higher prices, and a foray into movie rentals. Although Plex is probably the most common and simplest media server software, alternatives like Jellyfin have been gaining popularity lately and are worth checking out.

Whichever media server software you use, consider pairing it with a dedicated NAS. NAS media servers are especially helpful if you want to let people, including those outside of your household, watch stuff from your media library at any time and without having to keep a high-power system turned on 24/7.

You can stream files from your NAS to a dumb TV by setting up a streaming system—such as a Raspberry Pi, Nvidia Shield, or Apple TV box—that connects to the dumb display. That device can then stream video from the NAS by using Network File System or the Infuse app, for example.

What to connect: An antenna

Nowadays, you can watch traditional, live TV channels over the Internet through over-the-top streaming services like YouTube TV and Sling TV. But don’t underestimate the power of TV antennas, which have improved in recent years and let you watch stuff for free.

This year, Horowitz Research surveyed 2,200 US adults and found that 19 percent of respondents were still using a TV antenna.

If you haven’t checked them out in a while, you might be surprised by how sleek bunny ears look now. Many of the best TV antennas now have flat, square shapes and can be mounted to your wall or windowsill.

Mohu's Leaf antenna. — Mohu’s Leaf antenna. Bye, bye, bunny ears. Credit: Mohu

The best part is that companies can’t track what you watch with an antenna. As Nielsen said in a January 2024 blog post:

Big data sources alone can’t provide insight into the viewing behaviors of the millions of viewers who watch TV using a digital antenna.

Antennas have also gotten more versatile. For example, in addition to local stations, an antenna can provide access to dozens of digital subchannels. They’re similar to the free ad-supported television channels gaining popularity with smart TVs users today, in that they often show niche programming or a steady stream of old shows and movies with commercial breaks. You can find a list of channels you’re likely to get with an antenna via this website from the Federal Communications Commission.

TV and movies watched through an antenna are likely to be less compressed than what you get with cable, which means you can get excellent image quality with the right setup.

You can also add DVR capabilities, like record and pause, to live broadcasts through hardware, such as a Tablo OTA DVR device or Plex DVR, a subscription service that lets antenna users add broadcast TV recordings to their Plex media servers.

A diagram of the 4th Gen Tablo's ports. — A diagram of the 4th Gen Tablo’s ports. Credit: Tablo

Things to keep in mind

You’re unlikely to get 4K or HDR broadcasts with an antenna. ATSC 3.0, also known as Next Gen TV, enables stations to broadcast in 4K HDR but has been rolling out slowly. Legislation recently proposed by the FCC could further slow things.

In order to watch a 4K or HDR broadcast, you’ll also need an ATSC 3.0 tuner or an ATSC 3.0-equipped TV. The latter is rare. LG, for example, dropped support in 2023 over a patent dispute. You can find a list of ATSC 3.0-certified TVs and converters here.

Realistically, an antenna doesn’t have enough channels to provide sufficient entertainment for many modern households. Sixty percent of antenna owners also subscribe to some sort of streaming service, according to Nielsen.

Further, obstructions like tall buildings and power lines could hurt an antenna’s performance. Another challenge is getting support for multiple TVs in your home. If you want OTA TV in multiple rooms, you either need to buy multiple antennas or set up a way to split the signal (such as by using an old coaxial cable and splitter, running a new coaxial cable, or using an OTA DVR, such as a Tablo or SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun).

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