Quick answer: Of the new streaming services this article previewed in 2019, Disney+ and Apple TV+ both launched that November and are still running; Apple TV+ is now simply called Apple TV. WarnerMedia’s planned service became HBO Max in 2020, and in October 2026 its owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, agreed to be acquired by Paramount in 2026. DC Universe became a comics-only app, Amazon’s free service was folded into Prime Video in 2025, Walmart sold Vudu, and Facebook renamed its Watch tab. In India, Disney+ now reaches viewers through JioHotstar.
Streaming services such as Netflix let you subscribe for a flat monthly or annual fee and watch shows and films on demand instead of relying on cable TV or DVDs. Netflix started streaming in 2007, and by 2019 a wave of new services was on the way. We first published this article in early 2019 to preview them. Much of it was speculation at the time, so we have kept the original list as a record of what was expected in 2019 and added what actually happened, checked in October 2026. We have removed the 2019 prices, which are long out of date.
At a glance: the 2019 list and where each service is now
| Service in the 2019 article | What happened | Status in October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | Launched 12 November 2019 in the US | Running; Hulu content now inside the Disney+ app in the US |
| Apple’s streaming service | Launched as Apple TV+ on 1 November 2019 | Running, renamed Apple TV in 2025 |
| Facebook Watch | Original shows wound down | Renamed “Video” in 2023 |
| DC Universe | Shows moved to HBO Max | Comics-only DC Universe Infinite since January 2021 |
| WarnerMedia’s service | Launched as HBO Max in 2020; renamed Max in 2023 | HBO Max again since July 2025; owner being acquired by Paramount (deal reported closed in October 2026) |
| Walmart / Vudu | Walmart sold Vudu to Fandango in 2020 | Renamed Fandango at Home (2024), then Fandango (2026) |
| Amazon’s free service | Launched as IMDb Freedive in January 2019 | Renamed IMDb TV, then Freevee; folded into Prime Video in 2025 |
| Netflix | Established service | Running |
| Hulu | Established service | Running; now wholly owned by Disney |
| Amazon Prime Video | Established service | Running |
The new services of 2019, and what became of them
1. Disney+
What we said in 2019: Disney’s own service would bring its huge library, including Star Wars and classic animation such as The Lion King, together with new shows, at a price expected to undercut Netflix. We also said Captain Marvel would be on Disney+ in March 2019. That was wrong: the film opened in cinemas in March 2019, and Disney+ did not exist until later that year.
What happened: Disney+ launched in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on 12 November 2019, with nearly 500 films and 7,500 TV episodes from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, according to Disney. Disney later bought out Comcast’s stake in Hulu and now owns Hulu outright, and Hulu’s on-demand content has been added to the Disney+ app for US subscribers.
In India: Disney+ arrived as Disney+ Hotstar in 2020. On 14 February 2025, JioStar, the joint venture of Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney’s Star India, merged Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema into a single service, JioHotstar. Existing Disney+ Hotstar subscribers were moved across on their current plans.
2. Apple TV+
What we said in 2019: Based on reports about Apple’s upcoming streaming service, we said it would come pre-installed on iPhones and iPads, be free for Apple device owners, focus on family-friendly shows and be backed by about $1 billion of spending on content.
What happened: The service was not free. Apple TV+ launched on 1 November 2019 in more than 100 countries and regions at $4.99 a month in the US, with a seven-day free trial. People who bought a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch from 10 September 2019 got one year free, which may be the source of the “free” reports. Apple dropped the “+” in 2025: by October 2025, Apple’s own announcements were calling the service Apple TV. Up to six family members can share one subscription.
3. Facebook Watch
What we said in 2019: Facebook’s video service would use what it knows about users to recommend shows, let friends hold Watch Parties, and get $1 billion or more of content spending.
What happened: Facebook launched Watch worldwide in 2018. Over the following years it moved away from funding original shows, shut down features such as Watch Party, and ended its original programming. In July 2023, Meta renamed the Watch tab “Video”. It now combines Reels, longer videos and live streams from creators, rather than acting as a separate streaming service.
4. DC Universe
What we said in 2019: A service devoted to DC superheroes, with TV shows and films, a digital comics library, an online shop for collectibles, community forums and an encyclopedia of DC characters.
What happened: In September 2020, DC announced that DC Universe would become DC Universe Infinite, a comics-only service, from 21 January 2021. Its original series, including Titans, Doom Patrol, Young Justice and Harley Quinn, moved to HBO Max. DC Universe Infinite offered more than 24,000 digital comics at launch.
5. WarnerMedia’s streaming service
What we said in 2019: WarnerMedia would launch a service with films and shows from Warner Bros., TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and possibly HBO.
What happened: The service launched in May 2020 as HBO Max. After WarnerMedia merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max was renamed Max in 2023, and then went back to the HBO Max name in July 2025. In December 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to sell its studios and streaming business to Netflix, but Paramount made a rival offer for the whole company. Paramount agreed in early 2026 to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, and the deal was reported to have closed in early October 2026. Paramount has said it plans to combine Paramount+ and HBO Max into one service, but had not launched it or announced details when we checked.
6. Walmart and Vudu
What we said in 2019: Walmart might offer original content through Vudu, the pay-per-view streaming service it bought in 2010, or through a new service.
What happened: Walmart left streaming instead. It agreed to sell Vudu to Fandango in April 2020. Fandango renamed Vudu as Fandango at Home in March 2024; customers kept their libraries. In 2026 Fandango began bringing the service under its main Fandango brand.
7. Amazon’s free streaming service
What we said in 2019: Amazon was expected to launch a free service, possibly called “Free Dive”, focused on older TV shows and separate from Prime Video.
What happened: It launched in January 2019 as IMDb Freedive, a free, ad-supported service from Amazon-owned IMDb. It was renamed IMDb TV in June 2019 and Amazon Freevee in April 2022. In 2025, Amazon closed the Freevee app and moved its free shows and films into Prime Video, where they remain free to watch with ads for people without a Prime membership.
The established services in our 2019 list
The original article also recommended three services that already existed in 2019. Here is what we said then, briefly updated.
8. Netflix
We called Netflix our top pick in 2019 for its selection, quality and consistent performance, and mentioned its original series Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. Both series have since ended, but Netflix remains one of the largest streaming services. Netflix offers several plans at different prices in each country, including India, so check its website for current prices.
9. Hulu
We described Hulu as a good way to watch US network TV shows soon after broadcast without a cable subscription, along with shows such as The Thick of It and The Wrong Mans. Hulu is now wholly owned by Disney, which made its final payment to Comcast for Comcast’s stake in 2025. In the US, Hulu content is available inside the Disney+ app, and Disney has said a standalone Hulu subscription will remain available. Hulu is a US service and is not offered in India.
10. Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is included with an Amazon Prime membership and gives access to films and shows not available to other Amazon customers, including Amazon’s own originals. The prices in our 2019 article were for the US and have since gone up. In India, Prime Video comes with an Amazon Prime membership, and Amazon’s website lists the current fees.
What 2019 tells us about streaming
Our original article ended by saying viewers’ options had just got wider, with a service for every taste. That proved true for a few years, as Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max and Peacock all launched by 2020. Since then the trend has reversed: services have merged, shut down or been absorbed, as the stories of Freevee, DC Universe, Vudu and Warner Bros. Discovery show. Before you subscribe, check whether a service is changing owners or plans to merge with another.
If you are looking for free ways to watch, our guide on whether watching TV online for free is legal explains which options are safe. For live channels over the internet, see our article on the benefits of live internet TV.
Frequently asked questions
When did Disney+ launch?
On 12 November 2019 in the US, Canada and the Netherlands. In India it launched as Disney+ Hotstar in 2020 and is now part of JioHotstar.
Was Apple TV+ ever free?
Only through a one-year offer for people who bought a new Apple device from 10 September 2019. Otherwise it launched at $4.99 a month in the US. The service is now called Apple TV.
What happened to DC Universe?
It became DC Universe Infinite, a digital comics service, in January 2021. Its TV series moved to HBO Max.
What happened to Amazon Freevee?
Amazon closed the Freevee app in 2025 and moved its free, ad-supported content into Prime Video.
Is HBO Max the same as Max?
Yes. HBO Max was renamed Max in 2023 and returned to the HBO Max name in July 2025. Its owner agreed to a takeover by Paramount in 2026; the deal was reported to have closed in October 2026.
What is JioHotstar?
The streaming service formed in February 2025 when JioStar merged Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema. It carries Disney content in India, along with sport and other entertainment.
Checked in October 2026 against announcements from Disney, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Amazon, Meta’s 2023 video update, DC’s 2020 DC Universe Infinite announcement, Fandango’s Vudu announcements and JioStar’s February 2025 launch.
