Welcome to Streamer Smackdown, where we’ll crush dreams, so that you, the fans, can find the platform that fits you. We’re looking at everything from content to pricing to whether you can find that beloved animated movie from your childhood that, looking back now as an adult, you realize was incredibly inappropriate and far too mature for you to be watching as a kid.
This third round is going to be rough. We’re pitting two fairly young streamers against each other: HBO Max vs. Disney+, and tasking ourselves with effectively knocking one down before it’s even gotten the chance to live. Or get to a second season, as they say in the biz. Let the games continue!
The Case For HBO Max
We’ve already established HBO Max as the underdog in the streaming wars — yet they did just enter the game, and their catalog of blockbuster franchises really makes us want to see them get a win. The platform’s got a lot going for it: a deep lineup of prestige HBO dramas carried over from the network’s older streaming service and a mind-boggling lineup of films that includes the DC Universe.
The pricing for HBO Max isn’t as flexible as enticing as what Disney+ is offering with $14.99 a month only nabbing you three simultaneous streams. But if the money’s not as much of a concern, you’ll be rewarded with dozens of kick-ass TV shows — think Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Succession, Euphoria — and the kind of blockbusters you’d normally pay to rent for a movie-night watch.
And let’s not forget the industry shakeup that HBO Max delivered after just one year in the mix. Warner Bros set a precedent when it announced that, because of the current pandemic, the studio would be releasing new movies in theaters and via streaming on the same day. We’ve already seen how that works with Wonder Woman 1984 (spoiler: it’s insanely convenient) and with buzzworthy titles like Dune, the Matrix 4, Godzilla vs. Kong, and James Gunn’s Suicide Squad set to drop this year, there’s really no better argument for subscribing if you’re a film junkie.
Pros: A massive library of guaranteed-to-be-good shows and a lineup of theatrical releases coming this year.
Cons: The original content is lacking, so if you’ve already seen older series, there’s not much on the TV side to sway you here.
The Case For Disney+
Sure, Disney+ is technically just a few months older than HBO Max, but when you’re a studio that sports decades of beloved movies and popular TV shows, can you really be called a “rookie?” We think not. Disney has some of the biggest franchises and comic book IP under its very large umbrella, and it’s not afraid to leverage that library to gain more subscribers.
Right now, you’re only paying $6.99 a month — though that price will inch up to $7.99 per month in March of this year -– to gain access to nearly every movie in the Marvel catalog, including hyped spinoffs like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki. The streamer is basically catnip for MCU fans.
And we can’t forget about the mythic Disney vault. Holding us hostage with threats of never again being able to enjoy the quirky chaos of the Emperor’s New Groove or the fist-pumping feminist fairytale behind Frozen might be diabolical on the studio’s part, but dammit, it worked.
But if animated fairytales and superhero team-ups aren’t your thing, Disney+ has a place for you too because they’ve also acquired Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox (and all of the films that come with both). Yes, that means the entire Star Wars collection, and the X-Men universe, and Deadpool, and all of the Fantastic Fours, and Baby Yoda, and… you get it, right?
Pros: A massive library of animated classics, superhero sagas, and sci-fi space operas.
Cons: As of now, WandaVision and The Mandalorian are the only original series worth your time.
The Verdict: HBO Max Wins. Don’t Come For Us, Disney Overlords.
Here’s the tea: the MCU, as it stands now, is just a better draw than the DC Universe, even with Zack Snyder’s overpriced Justice League reshoot coming. And if WandaVision is anything to go by, Marvel’s plans for its TV spinoffs are in good shape too.
But, if we take away the superhero component, then really we’ve just got a Star Wars show and some classic movies vs. dozens of award-winning TV series and a host of Warner Bros. films. Look, we love Baby Yoda too, but those J.J. Abrams sequels don’t fill the void left from that season two finale. You know what does feel good though? Knowing you can stream Succession and Game of Thrones and Lovecraft Country before embarking on a Lord of the Rings marathon and exploring the Studio Ghibli collection.