There are plenty of streaming services available today, with many more popping up all the while, but not all of them offer the TV shows and movies you might be after. Indeed, you might have more specific tastes in content.
That means it could well be worth looking beyond the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, to find a different selection of films and series. And it may even come as a surprise to learn you don't even have to spend on another subscription.
Here are three of my favourite streaming platforms that are off the beaten track, which offer something a bit different. It could be worth giving them a try – especially as one of them is available for free.
Arrow Player
If your movie tastes are rather niche and you hanker for the stranger side of horror and martial arts flicks, Arrow has exactly the streaming service for you. It is jam-packed with cult classics and indie oddities.
This includes the likes of Oldboy, Donnie Darko and the director's cut of the Japanese original Battle Royale, plus largely forgotten shockers like Basket Case and City of the Living Dead.
Some of the content has even been remastered for a 4K presentation, and you can check out the service for free on a 7-day trial before kicking off a full subscription. There are apps for pretty much all the streaming devices you could wish for, as well as iPhone and Android.
Just head to the Arrow Player webpage to find out more.
StudioCanal Presents
Also dealing with classic films, but perhaps a little more mainstream is StudioCanal Presents. It's available as an add-on in Amazon's Prime Video and, once subscribed, you'll gain access to a superb collection of must-see cinema.
The original Rambo trilogy is available in a remastered 4K HDR, as is Terminator 2: Judgment Day. And there are plenty of other unmissable genre classics, such as John Carpenter's They Live, starring the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and Escape from New York.
There are plenty of TV series too, including Hannibal and two of the seasons of The Avengers – the 1960s classic British spy show. And StudioCanal Presents is home to the majority of the Carry On movies, too.
A 30-day free trial period is available to check out the service, and as it's delivered through Prime Video, it works wherever you can get that app. Pretty much everywhere, then.
Tubi
In all fairness, you've probably already heard of Tubi – it's been heavily advertised and launched in the UK in 2024 (having already been long established in the US). However, you might not have realised how good the content has become recently.
The completely free service, which asks you to sign in but not have to spend a penny to watch, works across a wide selection of devices – including iPhone, Android, Google TV and Fire TV – and offers thousands of shows and films.
That includes some classic UK favourites, such as The IT Crowd and Shameless, as well as big name movies, like La La Land, Bronson (starring Tom Hardy), and the 2012 remake of Total Recall.
There's a lot of straight to video guff too, so you will have to search a bit to find the juiciest cuts, but it can prove to be something of a treasure trove if you do.
You can find out more on the Tubi website.
