Exploring the world of free streaming services in the age of digital viewing
By Hannah Osborn— arts@theaggie.org
These days, there are a plethora of streaming services to choose from that give you access to both movies and TV shows. However, the constantly increasing price of subscriptions and crackdown on password sharing between geographic locations can present financial focuses for the consumer, according to NPR. Rather than selecting a service solely based on content offerings, potential users must weigh how many services they can afford; an important decision in media interaction given that 55% of Americans exclusively use streaming services, with only 16% of individuals aged 18 to 29 subscribing to cable or satellite TV.
As cash-strapped college students, free streaming services can appear like a saving grace. Just as with subscription services, there is no lack of options; there’s Tubi, Pluto TV, Kanopy, The Roku Channel and Plex, to name a few. However, compared to subscription-based services, these platforms are not as recognized by consumers.
Tubi is one service which is making itself known to younger audiences through an active social media platform, showcasing its catalogue of popular films such as “Zoolander” (2001), “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “You’ve Got Mail” (1998). Additionally, original projects by the service incorporate social media stars, as seen in the upcoming movie “Terrie Joe: Missionary in Miami” featuring digital creator Kelon Campbell.
Pluto TV offers a similar roster of recognizable films and TV shows for on-demand viewing, as well as access to hundreds of live television channels. Another service, Plex, allows users to not just watch their available free content, but track, store and stream media on its servers. These platforms represent just a few of the assortment of free streaming services operating today.
These companies are attracting increasingly higher numbers of users, jumping from 63 million to 70 million, according to a 2023 study reported by MNTN. Compared to subscription models of streaming, the existence of such services inspires the question: What’s the catch?
Consumers of free streaming services pay with their time, data and attention. Most — with the exception of library services like Kanopy and Hoopla — use a service model known as Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST). The lowest tier of most subscription services is access to their content with ads. The greater importance of ads on FASTs lies in what the cultivation of user profiles for targeted advertisements can do for the owners of services.
While some FASTs, like Momentu and Plex, are independent companies, most are owned by either mass media corporations or display technology companies. Tubi and Pluto TV fall into this first category, respectively operated by Fox Corporations and Paramount Skydance. Those owned by display technology companies include Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel.
Many of these platforms also use content distributors like FilmRise to source their catalogues. FilmRise is a film and television company that invests in original productions and provides content for FASTs from a media library with thousands of titles to be licensed for distribution.
Free internet services provide a way for companies to collect and utilize user data for profit. In this regard, FASTs are no different. Pluto TV users, for example, must agree to Paramount Skydance’s privacy policy for access to the service. This policy contract allows Paramount Skydance to gather information based on lP address, use of services and the sharing of any data they collect with business partners and third parties.
Given that many companies operating FASTs are also owners of subscription-based services or provide access to them (Fox One, Paramount Plus), the provision of free services is an acute advertising opportunity in which these companies profit not just from advertisers, but from the collection of user information for demographics not reached by paid streaming models.
With 81% of Americans being concerned and confused over how their data is used by companies, the data collection used by FASTs and other platforms that utilize targeted advertisements brings up questions on how to use these services while protecting privacy.
Legislators are attempting to keep up with digital user safety through laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Now, Californian consumers have a right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used, the right to delete said information and the right to opt-out of having their data shared or sold. In addition to utilizing state policy to maintain privacy online, the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can also provide a more protected status from data collection by encrypting data associated with personal devices and hiding your IP address.
So, while FASTs follow a similar data collection model used by subscription services, social media sites and other platforms that create targeted advertisements, there are ways for concerned consumers to utilize them without losing agency over their personal data.
Written by: Hannah Osborn — arts@theaggie.org
