Kanopy partners with public libraries and universities to deliver ad-free video streaming for quality, thoughtful entertainment. Find independent films, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, and educational videos. You need only a public library card or university login to start watching. Price: Free.
The Criterion Channel is a streaming service for cinephiles. Enjoy continuous access to a streaming library of more than 1,000 important classic and contemporary films, plus a selection of Hollywood, international, art-house, and independent films from major studios and independent distributors. Price: .99 per month.
Streaming Sites for Movies and TV
Pluto TV offers over 150,000 hours of free content from over 170 partners. Access live and on-demand movies, TV shows, news, sports, and documentaries. Browse hundreds of TV channels and free ad-supported videos. Price: Free.
Sling TV is an app-based service to stream live television and on-demand content over the internet. Choose the option that’s right for you, including channel add-ons, premium add-ons, DVR Plus, and more. Access local news, NFL games, and more for free when you pair your Sling subscription with an HD antenna. Price: Plans start at per month ( for the first month).
Netflix was the original streaming service to challenge the entrenched distribution systems of cable TV and the major movie studios. Netflix offers a library of films and television series through distribution deals and its own Netflix Originals productions. Hits include “Squid Game,” “Bridgerton,” “Money Heist,” “Stranger Things,” “Tiger King,” and “House of Cards.” Price: Plans start at .99.
Discovery+ offers access to more than 55,000 episodes of 2,500-plus current and classic shows from Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, BBC, Animal Planet, and more. Price: .99 per month. Ad-free is .99 per month.
Here is a list of streaming sites for movies and TV series. Watch new releases and classic films, original comedy and drama series, live news and sports, cult classics, thought-provoking documentaries, anime content, and more. There are both free and subscription-based sites.
Tubi, a division of FOX Entertainment, is an ad-supported video-on-demand service with more than 35,000 movies and TV shows, 100-plus local and live news channels, and 250-plus entertainment partners. Price: Free.
Hulu
Vudu launched in 2007 as a set-top box. It offers more than 200,000 new releases, catalog movies, and TV shows to rent or buy, plus thousands of titles to watch for free. Vudu does not require a subscription. Price: Free.
Curiosity Stream offers thousands of documentary films and shows on-demand from any device. Price: .99 per year.
Disney+ is the streaming home of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Recent projects include “Hawkeye,” “Loki,” and “The Mandalorian.” Stream on four devices at the same time, and download on 10 devices. Price: .99 per month.
Even online merchants need a little distraction. And with the plethora of online streaming services available these days, it’s easier than ever to access exceptional entertainment.
The Internet Archive is a non–profit digital collection of published works. Its mission is to provide universal access to all knowledge. It offers access to 6 million videos, including feature films, television, television news, and anime. The movie collection contains titles from Buster Keaton, Charlie Chapline, Hal Roach, and Cecil B. DeMille and titles from Roger Corman and an assortment of cult classics. Price: Free.
Crunchyroll
Sling TV
Yidio — Your Internet Video — is a video aggregator and universal search and discovery guide for watching TV shows and streaming movies online. View content from a single interface. Price: Free. Premium is per month.
Amazon Prime Video
Popcornflix is an ad-supported platform to stream free movies and TV shows across all your devices, with no subscription required. Price: Free.
YouTube delivers multiple options for streaming entertainment. The platform offers movies and shows to rent or buy and free movies to watch. YouTube TV is a subscription streaming service that lets you watch live TV from major broadcast and cable networks. Enjoy local and national live sports, breaking news, must-see shows when they air, and unlimited cloud DVR storage space. Price: YouTube TV is .99 per month for six accounts.
Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200-plus countries and territories, delivering over 30,000 episodes. It features popular anime shows such as “Demon Slayer,” “Attack on Titan,” and “Blade Runner: Black Lotus.” Get new episodes one hour they air in Japan. Read hundreds of chapters across dozens of manga titles. Price: Free. Premium plans start at .99 per month.
Apple TV+ is a streaming service that features Apple’s original content, including series dramas and comedies, documentaries, kids’ entertainment, and more. Apple’s content library is not deep, but the company has already created hits, such as “Ted Lasso” and “The Morning Show,” and compelling content such as music documentaries “1971” and “Get Back.” Apple TV’s latest lineup includes Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Rose Byrne, and Tom Hanks. Price: Plans start at .99 per month.
Peacock is a streaming service from NBCUniversal. It offers a vast library of new and classic NBC TV shows, popular movies, news, and live sports. Peacock also offers an assortment of original comedy and drama TV series. Price: Free. Premium plans start at .99 per month.
Paramount+, formerly CBS All Access, is the streaming service from ViacomCBS. Stream CBS shows, sports, live TV, and over 30,000 episodes from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel, plus Paramount’s library of feature films. Recent projects include “Star Trek Discovery” and “South Park: Post Covid.” Price: Plans start at .99 per month.
Crackle, a division of Sony Entertainment, is a free, ad-supported video entertainment network featuring full-length movies, TV shows, and original programming. Crackle offers uplifting dramas, classic TV, black entertainment, holiday content, and more. Price: Free.
Hoopla is the digital service of Midwest Tape, a provider of entertainment media and services to public libraries across North America. Hoopla offers patrons a wide selection of video (movies and TV shows), music, audiobooks, ebooks, and comics. Signing up requires a valid card from a library that offers Hoopla. Price: Free.
