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From Hallmark+ to MGM+ and everything in between, a guide to the plus sign streaming services
How to tell the streaming services, and their offerings, apart.
As the streaming wars wage on among major media companies, it’s getting harder to tell the services apart — and it doesn’t help that some of the names are pretty similar.
Throwing a plus sign on the end of the network’s title has become a popular naming convention for streaming services these days, but what you get from the products isn’t always the same.
We’ll break down the well-known plus sign streaming services like Disney+ and Paramount+, distinguish them from the newer platforms like MGM+ and Hallmark+ and help you discern what services like QVC+ and WatchFree+ actually have to offer.
(Disney)
What you get: Disney’s streaming service offers everything the Mouse is famous for: Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Pixar and, of course, classic Disney movies.
(ESPN+)
What you get: Though a cable subscription is the best way to get access to the most live games, you can catch some on ESPN+, as well as stream game replays and access originals like the full 30 for 30 library.
(Paramount+)
What you get: The ViacomCBS platform includes select programs from Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS and more. It’s where you can catch vintage episodes of MTV reality shows as well as the Frasier reboot and the Star Trek catalog.
Plans start at $5.99 per month with ads or $11.99 with Showtime.
(discovery+)
What you get: It’s Max without all the HBO content. Shows from HGTV, TLC and the Discovery Channel are all available on the streaming service, which is notoriously handy for fans of reality TV and documentaries.
(Apple)
What you get: The streaming service offers exclusive series and movies from Apple, like Severance and Ted Lasso. It’s especially great for sci-fi fans.
Note: you can rent or buy things through Apple TV (functionally the rebranded iTunes store) without an Apple TV+ subscription. But you'll need a subscription to watch Apple TV+ Originals like The Morning Show.
(Lionsgate)
What you get: Nothing! This is what Starz was called internationally, but it shut down in February 2024. Starz is still around — the Lionsgate-owned premium streaming service offers some movies and original shows like Outlander and the ever-expanding Power spin-off universe.
Starz typically runs you $8.99 per month, but you can usually get a deal on your first couple of months. You can also bundle the platform as an add-on through Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
(Hallmark)
What you get: The streaming service for heartwarming Hallmark content has been called a lot of things — Feeln, SpiritClips, Hallmark Movies Now — but as of July 2024, it’s Hallmark+. That’s where you’ll find family-friendly, inspirational content and, of course, the seasonal movies the channel is best known for.
(MGM)
What you get: Once known as Epix, the Amazon-owned platform is a premium cable and satellite television network as well as a streaming platform, similar to HBO. MGM+ is a sister to Prime Video ($14.99 per month) and Freevee (free and supported by ads). It’s home to a few original series, but is perhaps best known for being the first platform to claim streaming rights to highly anticipated new releases like Top Gun: Maverick and Challengers.
You can try MGM+ free for seven days through Amazon Prime Video.
(BET+)
What you get: The service is home to original BET films and series like Ruthless and Bruh. It’s operated by Tyler Perry Studios and BET Media Group, which is part of ViacomCBS. Some BET content is available on Paramount+, but not as much as BET+.
(AMC)
What you get: The premium streaming bundle is home to content from AMC Networks, like the Walking Dead universe and Mad Men, as well as shows and movies from Shudder, SundanceNow, BBC America and IFC Films Unlimited.
(Vizio)
What you get: If you have a Vizio television, this is one of the apps you can use to watch more than 300 channels for free — but they’re not traditional networks. There’s a whole channel for Baby Shark and another for Bachelor Nation.
(QVC)
What you get: If you love watching shopping channels but want a little bit more selection, that’s exactly what QVC+ and HSN+ are for. Different shows offer different kinds of products, from holiday shopping deals to style recommendations. There are a handful of original shows, like Busy Philipps’s talk show Busy This Week.