19 Best Lesser Known Streaming Services

The team behind Frndly TV operate lean and they don't offer sports or local channels.

What they do offer are 50+ family-friendly channels at a great rate for budget-concious families.

Streaming device provider Roku also recently acquired the service, so it's an easy way to add live TV if you already have a Roku premium membership.

Originally known as the Auteurs, Mubi curates and streams arthouse and classic cinema from all over the world.

Every hand-picked film comes with handy overviews, links to top critics' reviews, and a unique discussion forum where users can directly share their thoughts about what they're watching.

Depending on your location, the streamer also offers weekly tickets to nearby theaters with Mubi Go.

SUNDANCE NOW comes from the makers of the Sundance Film Festival. That means their streaming library is made of festival favorites and beloved indies from American cinema.

They also add exciting award-winning and original series like Riviera, Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale, and State of the Union every week to their ad-free platform.

If you happen to have Amazon Prime, you can check out Sundance Now's catalogue through their add-on channel.

Shout! Factory TV is operated by Shout! Studios, a boutique DVD and Blu-ray distributor. They try to get your subscription by offering retro classics that you'll love watching at home.

You don't actually have to pay to start watching, though a monthly subscription gives you access to more content without any ads.

OVID TV showcases unique narrative and documentary films about issues from around the world. It's one of the best places to find a new perspective through cinema. US subscribers can view their collection without any ads through a monthly or yearly subscription.

With its beginnings as a nighttime cable show in the 80s, Night Flight Plus hosts edgy, alternative media best viewed after hours.

That includes, of course, episodes of Night Flight, as well as hundreds of weird cartoons, conspiracy theory features, heavy metal shows, and horror, all available commercial-free.

MHz Choice was originally made for foreign diplomats, so it's no surprise that the streamer holds some of the best foreign films around the globe.

The streamer offers these gems with English subtitles, all without any ads through a direct subscription on their own platform. Amazon Prime Video or Roku Channel subscribers can also add MHz Choice to their existing plans.

Magnolia Selects is the streaming service curated by American distribution company Magnolia Pictures. You can start watching their catalog through a direct subscription or through their Sling, Amazon, and YouTube TV channels.

The base subscription grants you access to a library spans across all genres of film and television. You can also select from a variety of skinny bundles for the genre of your choice.

K-drama and K-pop fans, this is for you. KocowaTV hosts K-dramas, films, and other shows from Korea on their platform, airing new episodes from the country in as little as 12 hours for subtitling. You can start watching for free, but a monthly subscription keeps the ads at bay.

Foreign film lovers might want to try out Klassiki. Klassiki is dedicated to classic and modern films from Eastern Europe to Central Asia, an area rarely covered in more mainstream streamers. You also enjoy exclusive program notes, reviews, and interviews from different critics and filmmakers in the region.

With its arthouse picks, Kino Film Collection would be best for viewers who want new experimental movies and restored classics every week. Through a monthly or yearly subscription, you can access around 4,000 titles from the Kino Lorber's library ad-free. Still deciding? If you already have Prime, you can check out their add-on channel as well.

You can already guess what makes Indieflix's library: Independent cinema. However, the film supports independent filmmakers not just through hosting their works but also through paying them directly by their revenue sharing system. Worth noting that a library card grants you free access to their collection.

Do you love anime? You might want to try out Hidive for their hidden gems and classic titles from the genre. They also prioritize their simulcasts, so fans in the US can watch new shows at the same time as Japanese fans do at a better price than other anime streamers.

Needing some action in your life? Hi-Yah streams the best action and martial films from Asia directly through their platform or through their Roku and Amazon add-ons.

From old school classics to their own Hi-Yah originals, Asian action fans would enjoy a surprising variety from the genre, all with English subtitles.

If you're looking for queer representation, Here TV has got your back. It claims to have the largest library of LGBTQ content online, including award-winning films, in-depth documentaries, and original shows of their own. The streamer is also active in the community, regularly sponsoring events and partnering with queer charities, so each subscription really goes to their cause.

Formerly a film club, Film Movement eventually became a film distributor. You can still order physical DVDs and Blu-rays of their collection, but it's now easier to access their exclusive content through a direct subscription or through Amazon Prime as an add-on channel.

If South Asian content is more your vibe, Eros Now hosts the largest collection of Indian films online. The Mumbai-based streamer hosts a variety of films from all over India. English subtitles are available for most films on the platform, and they also offer support for other languages like Arabic, Swedish, and of course, languages from the subcontinent. You can watch the best of Bollywood directly through their app or through add-ons on Amazon and Sling.

With a recommendation from Quentin Tarantino himself, Arrow Player has become best known for their cult classic collection. That's because the streamer gets their library from UK-based restorer Arrow Video, a company that specializes in physical and digital cult re-releases. From Westerns, Sci-fi, Action, and more, you can watch their high definition library through a direct subscription or through their Prime Video channel.

Formerly known as Urban Movie Channel, ALLBLK offers a wide variety of African American films and shows from Black creators. The library includes nostalgic hits, popular reruns, indie films, and exclusive originals that were made for and by the community. You can start streaming with a direct subscription, or as an add-on channel through Sling, Roku, and Amazon Prime.