12 Best Streaming Services for Seniors

With over 100 live TV channels, including ESPN and BeIN, Fubo TV is first and foremost for sports fans. But as it expands, it's including channels and movies that appeal to a wider audience.

Netflix is an ad-free streaming platform that operates on a monthly, or annual, subscription. There are three pricing plans – Basic, Standard and Premium – and the one you choose will determine the number of devices that you can simultaneously use to watch Netflix, in case you want to share the account with someone else. There are three plans, though pricing differs from region to region. First up is the Basic plan, which allows you to watch on one device at a time. Upgrading to the Standard plan allows you to watch shows and movies, and download them for offline viewing, on up to 2 different devices at a time. The top-tier Premium plan lets you watch and download on up to 4 different devices, and comes with the options to watch videos in HD and Ultra HD. Once subscribed, you can watch movies and TV shows directly on your browser via Netflix.com. You also have the option of downloading the app on pretty much any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on computers using Windows XP or later and Macs with OS X Tiger or later.

Hulu with Live TV is an obvious choice if you already have Hulu On-Demand, as you'll get to keep all your payment information and history, interact with a similar interface, and get a Live TV service without much effort.

Amazon's premium membership program is an all-in-one bundle that includes access to the streaming platform Prime Video, more commonly referred to in this publication as “Amazon Prime.” A subscription entitles you not only to Amazon Prime's thousands of films and TV shows, but also to Amazon's delivery benefits, which include discounted fees, free shipping, and same-day delivery on select items. The membership bundle costs $14.99/month, but you can access the streaming service as a standalone for just $8.99.

Depending on where you live, access to Amazon Prime might differ. If you live in the US, UK, or Germany, you have the option of paying a yearly or monthly subscription fee for an Amazon Prime account. Users from the US, UK, France, and Brazil likewise have access to Amazon Prime's sports content which, depending on the season, may include live and on-demand coverage of basketball, football, and baseball events. Meanwhile, people in countries where Amazon is not operating may only be able to access it from a browser.  

In addition to on-demand streaming, you can rent or buy titles that are not on the service or purchase add-on channels like HBO, Starz, and MLB.TV to watch on the Amazon Prime platform. And apart from Amazon devices, the app is available on any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on Apple and Windows computers, a wide range of TVs, mobile devices, and gaming consoles.

Paramount Plus Essential is a video-on-demand service that replaces its predecessor, CBS All Access, and is currently available in the US, Canada, and parts of Latin America. This ad-supported tier costs $5.99, while Paramount's premium, ad-free tier costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year, with an optional 7-day free trial. Essential subscribers used to have the option to bundle the service with Showtime, but ever since the Paramount-Showtime merger in June 2023, the latter is now only available to Premium subscribers. But to its credit, Essential still has 40,000 episodes and movies to its name, plus live feeds on NFL on CBS and the UEFA Champions League. You can access Paramount Plus Essential via web browser, while the app is supported on a wide range of TV and mobile devices.

Dubbed "The Free Netflix," Tubi is one of the best options for streaming quality movies and TV shows online. The completely free, ad-supported service has one of the most extensive title lineups, plus it's compatible with most devices, making it an extremely popular option for cord-cutters. Though it has been noted to have a less than stellar resolution, most viewers don't mind due to its easy interface, constantly updated library, and of course free titles. Parents will also be glad to know that the service has parental control features.

Formerly HBO Max, Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform that is only available in the US. New subscribers can choose from three monthly tiers ranging from $9.99 (with ads) to $16.99 (no ads) to $20.99 (no ads, plus more concurrent streams, downloads, and 4K streaming). An annual subscription option is also available. When you subscribe, you'll get HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones but Max also functions as a bundle: you'll get content from Discovery, DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll. And as of September 2023, you will also get a live stream of CNN. Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.

Pluto TV is a modern take on traditional cable: it has hundreds of channels streaming live, a huge library of on demand content, and it’s supported by ads. But the key difference from the competition? It’s totally free.

Originally founded in 2002, Shout Factory is a long-standing leader in independent film and television distribution. They have recently started a streaming service called ShoutFactory that streams their content as well as some "live channels" - for the most part lineups of their series that play on repeat.

As the name suggests, Classix is the ultimate repository of vintage titles; from film noir and screwball comedies to westerns and cartoons, it's all here. The service is completely free of charge, a true haven for classic fans, but for a one-time charge of $3.99 (no renewal fee) users can get access to even more titles, including full seasons of shows like Bonanza and The Pink Panther. The streamer works well on most major devices, and even though the films don't have the crisp, restored resolution of their more popular contemporaries, they're still a ball to watch.

While programming depends on your geographical location, Acorn TV in the US focuses on TV shows from dozens of international networks in countries of the Commonwealth, from British channels like the BBC and ITV as well as Oceanic shows from Australia and New Zealand. 

Aside from British shows, there’s also a solid selection of content from other major European networks from France, Italy and Ireland.