I’m a professional TV watcher. Here are some streaming trends I hope I can change in 2026

At this point, it seems like streaming services can do whatever they want, no matter how annoying they are. The audience will continue to subscribe because we are used to feeling burdened at the same time and Hungry for content. We want more and more and more all the time.

That’s why I have dozens of titles in every one of my streaming service queues, but I still spend hours of my life scrolling, looking for the perfect thing to watch. What I’m saying, I guess, is that I’m a glutton for punishment — I’ll likely continue subscribing to many of my favorite streaming services indefinitely, despite their ever-rising prices, ever-changing interfaces, and ever-shifting programming schedules.

i know that festive It was last month, but I would like to air some complaints I have and ask the broadcasters to listen to them.

Those annual price increases

Can we take a year off? In 2025, multiple streaming services increased their rates significantly, including Peacock, Disney Plus, Hulu And Apple TV. Would they dare raise them again within the calendar year?

That remains to be seen, but Paramount Plus has already announced that it will also increase prices on January 15, which isn’t the news I wanted for the new year. Yes, you can save if you bundle services or get them for free with mobile plans. But this makes me wonder: Is there a price cap that drives viewers to max out and cancel? Or do we all start with that? Pausing our subscriptions To catch small savings here and there?

Advertisements, ads, ads

I’ve spent more money for an ad-free experience on most of my streaming service subscriptions, but for the ad-supported ones, I’m asking, nope; Beggingthe masters of streaming must reconsider forcing viewers to watch ads if we want to rewind or fast-forward within a show or movie. It’s one thing to watch a bunch of ads at certain intervals throughout the show, and I get that. But when you have to watch an ad before the show starts, and then want to skip to a certain moment, only to immediately have to watch another set of ads, I feel like we’re daring us not to watch TV anymore.

When loop rollouts are a moving target

As someone who writes about streaming content for a living — especially new releases and premieres — I tend to have a good understanding of which platforms drop TV shows and which shows go on a weekly rollout schedule. And while I understand that some platforms (cough, *Netflix*) update their content so that, say, Stranger Things gets three big premieres within six weeks of each other just to provide a holiday experience, it’s not necessarily fun for the viewer to keep up with all of those premiere dates.

Then there is Apple TV. Wednesday shows are released on Tuesday nights, but sometimes the streamer will release Friday shows on Wednesdays. Make it logical. The new season of Peacock Traitors? Three episodes arrived in the first week, and two will be released this week. However, only one episode will be released each week after that, except for the final week, when there will be two.

When I was a new parent, all the parenting books I read said consistency was key as a caregiver. I say to these streaming services, please baby. I like a reliable schedule. Apple TV, I love you, but you didn’t need to change the date of the Pluribus finale because I was still going to watch it, no matter what.

Losing momentum when offers take too long to appear

This is where I admit something I shouldn’t: I haven’t watched the final season of Stranger Things yet. I’ve literally forgotten every major plot point since I last heard Runnin’ Up That Hill, and lost all momentum. (Rolling down that hill?) I’m sure I’ll never go back to House of the Dragon for the same reason. Yes, these shows take a long time to produce, but I’m curious if they would retain a larger audience if they didn’t make us wait more than two years between seasons.

Those parenting books you read? They also say that you shouldn’t favor one child over another, but to those producers, I say, “Why don’t you be like your brother, The Pitt? It took him less than a year to produce a second season. You could learn a thing or two from him.”

False endings

I’m looking directly at Ted Lasso here. We were sad for you once when you finished your series. Let’s not rewrite the show’s legacy and make things more complicated than they need to be in Season 4.

Is there anything good about streaming services?

The list above is just my pet peeves. I love the fact that I have an extensive library of old and new content at my fingertips 24/7, and some of the services have features that I hope others will adopt.

Prime Video X-rays I was spoiled by the feature. When I can’t place an actor’s face or a song in the background, all I have to do is swipe to get that information. It’s like Google, Shazam, and IMDb all in one. Another service that offers features that I appreciate is Peacock, especially with its sports coverage. Launched for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Discovery Multiview is essentially a four-way picture-in-picture interface ideal for anyone who wants to interact with multiple events.

This may be a bit of a sensory overload for some, but it worked for the Olympics, and back for this year’s Winter Games. Peacock also debuts Rinkside Live for Olympic Figure Skating and Hockey as well as its Courtside Live feature for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in February. It provides alternate angles and feeds from different parts of the arena. While streaming platform ESPN has been airing alternative viewing angles for some time, Peacock sideshows can also be integrated with Multiview, allowing you to watch simultaneously.

I think it all boils down to control: I want to know as a viewer that I have some sense of control over what I watch, how and when I watch it. Now that I’ve posted my belated complaint, excuse me while I go and rewatch Seinfeld on Netflix — but don’t even get me started on the aspect ratio of viewing on the streaming service. I know The technology exists To fix this problem, however it seems Ongoing issue For many platforms.