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The streaming landscape is quite peculiar. For some companies like Netflix and Disney, it’s become more stable and has transformed internet TV and movies into a legitimate and thriving industry. For others, the situation is more complex. Would you bet on Max, Paramount Plus, and Peacock still being around next year? And not to mention side-hustle streaming services like Apple TV Plus and Amazon Prime Video, alongside social platforms like TikTok and YouTube that appear both fragile and unstoppable. Navigating the streaming wars isn’t simple.
That’s why, once a year, we delve deep to assess future trends. In this episode of The Vergecast, we present our third annual Streaming Draft. The game is straightforward: seven categories, three hosts, and 21 total services to draft. Each service can be chosen only once, and the host with the most impressive roster wins.
The Verge’s Jake Kastrenakes stepped in for Alex’s selections this year and, alongside David and Nilay, commenced the draft. Each host then had to fill the following seven categories:
Unsurprisingly, the draft quickly went off the rails. However, in about an hour, we were finished. Make sure to watch or listen to the episode before reading further, but here are the results:
As always, each of us believes we won the draft. Determining the actual winner might take some time. (If you think you know who won, let us know! Leave a comment here, email vergecast@theverge.com, or reach out to the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11.) We’ll see how Fox’s upcoming streaming service shapes up, whether Disney can turn ESPN Flagship into a successful sports streamer, how long Apple and Amazon will continue investing in Hollywood, and whether TikTok will still be around in 2026. Sometimes it feels like Netflix is the only true safe bet in the industry, so it’s no surprise it was the first pick.
