08 May From Netflix to HBO, The Terrible Design of Streaming is Ruining TV [Fast Company]
JESUS DIAZ
May 8, 2023 | Everyone loves streaming video services. At the same time, everyone loathes streaming video services. It doesn’t matter if it’s Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max—for every great series or film we watch on the platforms, there’s a half-dozen things we hate about the actual experience of doing so.
Streaming platforms have become an essential part of many people’s lives—87% of all American households subscribe to at least one service. On average, a person in the U.S. subscribes to 2.8 streaming services, and 10% pay for more than 5 streaming services at any given time. It’s easy to see why. They all offer practically unlimited series and films on demand—a major convenience over the traditional network television model. But all of them suffer from terrible user experiences that can make finding and watching streaming content sometimes as pleasant as eating thumbtacks and cheese tacos—through your nose.