What you missed in streaming this week
What you missed in streaming this week
Congress takes the NFL to task, the Paramount - WBD deal gets approval from one government, and more stories from the week’s streaming news.
Summer is off and running in the United States, and the past week’s live sports broadcasts have been absolute cinema. The 2026 NBA and NHL Finals have both been filled with drama, and now that the 2026 FIFA World Cup has started, there’s even more to divide the attention of distracted sports fans.
If you ended up missing any streaming stories from the week’s news because of the insane nature of its sports broadcasts, or for any other reason, read on. We’ve put together our list of streaming stories you may have missed from the week’s news below!
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Congress presses NFL on costs, access at hearing
The NFL and other sports leagues have drawn the attention of lawmakers in recent months. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are questioning major sports leagues’ tactics in moving more and more games behind the streaming paywall, instead of leaving them on free over-the-air broadcasts.
At a Wednesday hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, representatives questioned NFL figures and sparred with each other, revealing the political divides in the debate. While Republicans were focused on whether the NFL’s tactics were in keeping with the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, Democrats, while also decrying the NFL’s practices, also targeted conservative allies of the Trump administration, like Rupert Murdoch and David Ellison, who they say are now using sports broadcasting issues to push a political agenda.
According to Puck's John Ourand, Congress is expected to introduce new, bipartisan legislation designed to address the modern concerns of the Sports Broadcasting Act. While the bill is still being crafted, it is expected to be “introduced within the next few weeks.”
The NFL announced its 2026 schedule in mid-May. The season saw CBS, Fox, and NBC grab new games, with more streaming-exclusive contests headed to both Netflix and Peacock.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
iOS 27 update makes Apple TV remote access simpler
One of the most convenient features of an Apple TV streaming player is the ability to use your iPhone as a TV remote. Apple’s iOS 27 update is in developer beta now, and the software update includes an update to the digital Apple TV remote feature to make it even easier to use.
As reported by 9to5 Mac on Tuesday, iOS 27 will allow users to add the virtual Apple TV remote shortcut to their home screen. Since 2020, viewers have had to go to their iPhone or iPad’s Control Center to access the Apple TV remote, but it’s coming back to the home screen when iOS 27 launches in July.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
‘Doctor Who’ Christmas special gets the axe
Christmas is cancelled for “Doctor Who” fans this year. Big changes are underway for the show behind the scenes, as showrunner Russel T. Davies and producer Bad Wolf have now exited. And on Wednesday, Variety reports that there will be no “Doctor Who” Christmas special in 2026.
The future of the show is quite uncertain at the moment. The BBC’s co-production pact with Disney+ has now ended, and Ncuti Gatwa has departed the role of The Doctor. The BBC is seeking new production partners for the show, but says that it “remains an important part of The BBC” that the broadcaster hopes audiences will get to enjoy for years to come.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
Australia approves Paramount - WBD merger
The combination of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery has kicked up a firestorm of controversy in the United States, where it’s expected to win approval of regulators soon. But the deal also has to win assent from other regulatory agencies in countries around the world in which the combined company will operate.
On Tuesday, Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission gave the merger its approval. It’s an important box for “WarnerMount” to check, though other challenges, including lawsuits from consumers and potential legal action from state attorneys general, remain.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
This week’s streaming announcements
Learn more plot details for ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5
Netflix will welcome “Bridgerton” Season 5 in 2027, and on Wednesday, the streamer shared more details about the plot of the season. It will follow a romance between the widowed Lady Francesca and Michaela, who are both trying to process the death of John in the show’s fourth season. Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza will star as Lady Francesca and Michaela in the upcoming season of the show.
Bridgerton
Wealth, lust, and betrayal set in the backdrop of Regency era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.
Apple TV renews ‘Widow’s Bay’ for second season
Ahead of next week’s first season finale, Apple TV has announced that it has renewed the new horror comedy series “Widow's Bay” for another season. The show stars Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a quiet, struggling coastal community filled with superstitious locals, scared about the town’s haunted past.
The show’s creator, Katie Dippold, sarcastically said, “Season two is about how everything is great on the island and there’s nothing to worry about.”
Widow’s Bay
The mayor of a New England town resolves to turn it into the next tourist hot spot, despite local warnings that it’s cursed.
Emmy Rossum’s ‘Furious’ gets premiere date on Disney+ and Hulu
Emmy Rossum stars as FBI agent Alice Black in the new thriller series “Furious.” Also starring Scoot McNairy, the show follows the hunt for a calculating female serial killer, and the blurring lines between right and wrong as the hunt goes on and more victims appear.
The show will debut on Hulu and Disney+ for Hulu subscribers on July 27, with three episodes dropping on that date.
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
‘Lioness’ Season 3 premiere date announced
Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman are returning for Season 3 of the popular Taylor Sheridan series “Lioness.” The show will officially return with its third season on Sunday, Aug. 2, with new episodes airing on Paramount+. In Season 3, Joe (Saldaña) walks the line between duty and home as unseen forces circle her world. Patterns appear where they shouldn’t, names vanish, and paths rearrange. Guided by Kaitlyn (Kidman) and Westfield ( Michael Kelly), Joe confronts enemies operating in the shadows, leaving her to reckon with a war that now reaches into every part of her life.
Lioness
Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Meet the first live-action Scooby-Doo
The dog cast to play Scooby-Doo in ‘Scooby-Doo: Origins.’ Click to expand.
Netflix is at work on a new Scooby-Doo series called “Scooby-Doo: Origins,” and the show will feature a major first for the franchise. As announced on Monday, Scooby-Doo will be played by a real dog for the first time in the show’s 50+ year history. Other cast members include Mckenna Grace as “Daphne Blake,” Tanner Hagen as “Shaggy Rogers,” Abby Ryder Fortson as “Velma Dinkley,” Maxwell Jenkins as “Fred Jones,” and Paul Walter Hauser.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”