5 Best Streaming Services in Ireland

Volta was the name of the first cinema that opened in Ireland in 1909. And this streaming service lives up to the name - it's the first independent Irish streaming service. You will find a range of Irish content as well as some international releases.

Rakuten TV (previously wuaki) is a Japanese-owned online streaming service that provides access to movies and TV shows—a heady mix of high-profile and independent media—either for a subscription fee or a rental fee.

Currently, it's only available in Japan and select countries in Europe, so if you're in the area and want a streaming service similar to Netflix, then this is for you. Launched in 2009, Rakuten TV offers subscriptions for $4.99/month for ad-supported content and $9.99/month for an ad-free plus pass.

NowTV is an internet television service that is subscription-based and operated by the British television satellite provider, Sky. NowTV provides access to award-winning shows and films, as well as various sports channels. This service is for those who will love having high-profile movies, TV shows, and sports coverages all in one place. Launched in 2012, it's currently only offered in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Italy. NowTV has a variety of membership options, although it should be noted that their sports television subscription is separate from their TV and film subscription.

Curzon Home Media is an internet streamer that provides access to films through rentals. It releases many of its films on the same date they are available to watch in cinemas, so you can rest assured its selection is fresh. 

Currently, the video-on-demand service is limited to the UK and Ireland, so if you're in the area looking for a regularly updated library that also happens to contain quality art-house, foreign, and lesser-known films, then this is for you. Curzon Home Media, launched in 2010, is owned and operated by the London-based Curzon World Group.  

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.