What Are the Best Aggregators for All of Your Streaming Services?
It has gotten way too hard to keep track of streaming subscriptions nowadays. Nearly 10% of streaming users in the United States are subscribed to five or more services, and with that many to keep track of it can get very easy to simply lose one in the shuffle.
That’s why so many streaming users are crying out for aggregation platforms. A survey from December showed that 86% of customers want a single service that would pull together all of their basic personal information, offer access to all their streaming subscriptions and show them content recommendations from all of those services together in one location, with one monthly bill instead of separate invoices for each streamer they use.
There are already several of these services available, though none of them have been able to convince all the major subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms on the market to join them. Verizon’s +play has been the most successful in this regard, as the telecom company does not operate its own streaming video service, which means that streamers like Netflix and Disney+ don’t have to worry about helping the competition by joining it. +play recently renewed a deal with Netflix in which users can get a free year’s subscription to the Premium tier of the service.
Prime Video, YouTube TV and Apple also offer aggregation platforms to varying degrees. Unlike +play, however, some streaming services have been more hesitant to embrace these platforms, as their operators also offer competing video streaming services.
Which Aggregation Platforms Offer the Most Subscription Services?
| SVOD Service | Available on YouTube TV? | Available on YouTube Primetime Channels? | Available on Prime Video Channels? | Available on Apple TV Channels? | Available on Verizon +play? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Disney+ | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Hulu | No | No | No | No | Yes (via Disney Bundle) |
| ESPN+ | No | No | No | No | Yes (via Disney Bundle) |
| HBO Max | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Discovery+ | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Paramount+ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SHOWTIME | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (via Paramount+ Bundle) |
| Peacock | No | No | No | No | No |
| STARZ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AMC+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which is the Best Streaming Service Aggregator?
If you’re a Verizon customer, there’s no doubting that +play is the answer. The service offers the most major subscription video services of any aggregator, and special deals like the year-long subscription to Netflix’s best tier help it stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. The caveat here of course is that if you’re not a Verizon customer, you can’t access +play at this time.
Prime Video Channels is the second-best option on the list for that reason. You don’t have to buy a mobile or internet plan to get access to it, though you will need to sign up to Prime Video for $8.99 per month. Prime Video Channels doesn’t have the sheer number of services that +play can boast, though it too has special deals on certain services that can’t be accessed via other aggregators (such as the seven-day free trial to HBO Max).
YouTube TV and Apple TV Channels bring up the rear on this list because they have fewer of these types of deals. You can still use both services to help aggregate your streaming bill every month, but you won’t get as many special offers or choices with them.
An Option for the Future: Xumo Play
Aggregation is one of the main features that Xumo Play will offer when the joint Comcast-Charter Communications venture is relaunched. That service will combine aggregation with on-demand video choices, which helps to explain why Peacock is not currently available on any other aggregating platform. Comcast is clearly holding it back to be a launch partner for the new Xumo Play when it becomes available, which could be as early as 2023.
Xumo Play
Xumo Play is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to several movies and TV shows. Xumo Play offers 290 free virtual channels, including those focused on reality TV, vintage TV, and game shows.