REPORT: All TV Networks to Offer Their Own Streaming Service by 2022

First, there was Netflix, and the Lord saw that it was good.

For quite some time, Netflix was the de facto streaming service. People associated it with cutting the cord, with streaming TV, and with… chilling.

But over the past five years, the competition has continued to expand at a rapid pace, with hundreds of streaming services now available to choose from. Some big, some small, services like Hulu feature dozens of channels, then there are services like Paramount Plus that only focus on their own content.

This morning, a report by The Diffusion Group reported that by 2022, things are going to have expanded so much that every major television network will have their own streaming service. For example, E! Network, TBS, The CW, and more, all individual streaming services that consumers will choose on a one-by-one basis to get the content they want.

“These are early signs of an emerging media tribalism,” argues Berkley. “Major networks will increasingly reserve their best titles for their own direct-to-consumer services, which will help drive total network DTC subscriptions close to 50 million by 2022.”

If current trends are any reflection of this growing industry, the price point for these standalones will likely be somewhere between $5-10 a piece, which when totaled could easily extend past the cost of a traditional cable package. This will also affect the convenience of bundled packages. While the ability to choose what you want to pay for is a welcome change, there are no doubt plenty of channels included with current cable packages that consumers are paying for but not using, it is hard to imagine much benefit to having to pay for somewhere between 5-10 individual services.

“Big media companies are reacting more boldly to changes in TV viewing behavior,” notes Mike Berkley, TDG senior advisor and author of the new report. “Consolidating, bulking up on originals, and marketing directly to consumers are driving their strategic direction.”