The more things change, the more they stay the same, especially with streaming services. At first just a way to catch up with shows on demand, they are now slowly evolving into the TV giants they were created to replace. Now, in 2024, Netflix and Amazon have a place on the upfronts schedule alongside ABC and CBS, and streaming dominates TV awards.
Now, that evolution is continuing even further with a new streaming bundle that’s garnering countless comparisons to the TV cable packages of yore, but it’s doing something unprecedented: including arguably the most underrated streamer for cheaper than ever. Comcast recently announced StreamSaver, a three-way bundle of Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+, available to Xfinity customers at a “vastly reduced price.” While there are still no details as to pricing for the package, it’s the first of its kind to include these particular streamers — last week, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a bundle for Disney+, Hulu, and Max.
While most media pundits are understandably rolling their eyes, it feels possible that these bundles may be a good development for sci-fi fans who haven’t tried out certain shows because a streaming service wasn’t previously affordable.
The idea here is that maybe, just maybe, Comcast’s combination is actually a secret weapon. For casual viewers, Apple TV+ has often been left out of the streaming conversation because of its lack of catalog titles and reputation in the mainstream, but hiding behind that are some of the best sci-fi shows currently airing.
Whether you’re into speculative alternate history sci-fi like For All Mankind, post-apocalyptic dystopia like Silo, or classic Asimovian sci-fi like Foundation, it’s a genre lover’s dream. On top of that, with the expanding Monarch universe, and thoughtful shows like Constellation and Dark Matter, Apple TV+’s commitment to science fiction only seems to be growing. The only barrier to entry, at least for the average person, is cost.
Among mainstream viewers, Ted Lasso is probably Apple TV+’s biggest hit, with the breakout social satire sci-fi series Severance, probably second on that list. But, for science fiction fans who have maybe only dipped their toe into Severance, there’s a plethora of other genre shows to be discovered in the Apple TV+ archives, and more on the way.
Before, there was a daunting paywall (and a persistent lack of marketing) separating them from this treasure trove of media, but for Xfinity subscribers, it could be a way to actually save money. Or at least, that’s the hope.
Apple TV+ can be hard to justify as a streaming service on its own — there’s not the same variety and consistency as Hulu or Netflix. But in a bundle, it’s the perfect add-on for a sci-fi fan, especially if it comes at a discounted rate. We may be reinventing cable packages, but those packages have their own benefits.
