2022 Wrapped: Streaming Services
Here is my ranking of the major streaming services for 2022:
1. HBO Max
This is my most used service by far. House of the Dragon is a worthy successor to Game of Thrones and inspired me to start rewatching the original with my teenage son. Peacemaker makes me very optimistic about the future of DC’s content strategy now in James Gunn’s hands. Also chef’s kiss for Barry season 4, Station Eleven and The White Lotus season 2. I even marathoned all of Deadwood this year.
2. Disney+
As a Marvel and Star Wars fanboy Disney+ is a must have. 2022 was flush with interesting new shows of which Andor and Werewolf By Night were standouts for me.
3. Apple TV+
Apple has the least amount of content, but their hit rate is probably the best even in a year without Ted Lasso. Severance was my favorite show of 2022, Foundation was good, and strong new seasons for For All Mankind and Mythic Quest (I don’t know why more people don’t talk about this one) were released.
4. Netflix
The big dog had a tough year in 2022, but still a good one. Stranger Things 4 and The Sandman were my favorites, and I finally got around to watching Squid Game (the hype was right-on). There is still ton of content released on Netflix that hasn’t interested me, including some where I am definitely in the target audience (e.g. The Gray Man), which is why it doesn’t make my top 3 this year. I haven’t seen Glass Onion yet but by all accounts it’s pitch perfect.
5. Amazon Prime Video
Amazon had a lot of good shows this year, one of which was the most expensive series ever produced (The Rings of Power), but I don’t recall seeing one that is truly great. Other good shows include: The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Reacher and The Boys.
6. Hulu
I didn’t watch a lot of content on Disney’s other streaming service this year, but The Bear and Prey were both incredible. There are a number of FX shows, both new and old, that I need to catch up on.
7. Paramount+
This is still mainly the Star Trek streaming service for me. Sadly the new seasons of Discovery and Picard were both disappointing, but Strange New Worlds exceeded my expectations.
8. Peacock
Peacock is often the “why do I still pay for this?” service, but there’s always a reason I keep it going (plus I only pay $5/month for the premium no-ads version because of a Comcast deal I took advantage of). I enjoy watching SNL with my wife (one of the few shows we both enjoy), The Northman was a great flick, and I’ve been able to watch the World Cup in Spanish thanks to Telemundo.
