My one tech splurge in 2026 will be these 3 unsung TV streaming services

The high price of certain gadgets means I’m often picky about what I buy; I’m always wondering whether I actually need to shell out for a camera, console or fitness tracker, and this penny-pinching stops 90% of purchases in their tracks. It’s great for my bank account, but in 2026 I’m making an exception – for streaming service subscriptions.

I’ve previously tried to keep myself to one subscription at a time, preferring to do my viewing with DVDs or in the cinema than over the internet, but over many years as an entertainment journalist I’ve been relaxing these rules. I grew tired of the big names in streaming, but there are countless alternative streamers which offer something a little more bespoke and niche.

After recently cancelling Disney Plus, and putting a pause on my Tubi addiction, I’ve decided to spend 2026 trying out some new streaming services I’d never used before. Some of them are big ones I’d previously avoided, others are unsung options which could end up eating up my screen time for the year.

I’m in the UK, Here are some of them, beginning with the one I’ve already started on.

BFI Player (or BFI Player Classics in the US) is quickly seeming like the perfect middle ground – a decision I came to partly because I often go to the British Film Institute’s own screenings of older movies that are hard to find online.

I really like how varied BFI Player’s list is, in terms of origin as well as year. A brief look at its library shows classics like Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Seven Samurai, as well as newer ones worth watching like Four Mothers and Monster. It’ll definitely be a great history lesson for me, as a cinema fan.

Admittedly, the BFI Player library is quite small – there are under 600 films and as with any streaming service, not all of those are worth watching. But a brief skim of its listings shows loads of films worth a watch; it’ll definitely have enough for a few months’ subscription, especially if the line-up changes regularly.

Tubi
This free streamer is still my go-to for movie night, with its selection of big studio and indie films, plus a fun library of B-movies

2. Apple TV
Every year this streamer gets a few more TV shows worth watching, and so if you haven’t picked up a trial yet, its 2026 line-up looks impressive so far.

3. Prime Video
Of the big streaming services, Prime Video is the one I stick around for; its library is wider and more diverse, and it has new additions that aren’t just its originals.

4. Mubi
Another streaming service for arthouse and worldwide movies, Mubi is an expensive but interesting streaming option.

I signed up for Now TV thanks to its Black Friday deal, which made it half price for a year of its cheapest tier. I’d never previously considered subscribing to the streamer, which for those who don’t know is the more affordable relative to Sky TV – but given the large shared library of shows I need to catch up on, I decided to sign up.

Basically every HBO show from Max is on there, which is the main draw, but I’ve also wanted to finally watch the Walking Dead spin-offs and a few UK shows which find their way there. And after years bouncing off basically every Netflix Original, it’s nice to actually be excited to watch shows again. I’ve already made a huge watchlist and I’m sure it’s going to expand soon with everything January brings.

In the past, some criticisms I’d heard of the streamer had put me off. The platform has far more ads than rivals, and I wouldn’t have locked into the cheaper tier had I known just how incessant and annoying they’d be, but the user interface is far more functional than people have given it credit for.

My subscription to Now will continue, partly because I’ve locked into a year, but partly because this is going to be my best way to see new prestige TV shows when they come out. And if I have to put up with a 50/50 split of ads to content to enjoy them, so be it.

If you’re in the US, Now TV isn’t available, but you can consider it a ‘lite’ version of HBO Max and AMC Plus put together. If you like the sound of Now TV, either of those would make a good choice, as they both also offer seasonal deals.

YouTube subscription list of video essayists.

After scrolling through Discovery Plus and History Play (too much true crime and conspiracy videos) and The Great Courses and Curiosity Stream (too varied in topic), I settled on History Hit.

History Hit has a fairly wide scope of documentaries, but they’re all history ones; if I’m paying for a platform like this, I want depth instead of breadth. I like a platform that knows when to keep its focus narrow.

I like the look of History Hit’s range; it’s not just your standard medieval Britain and Roman docs but ones on Barbarossa, the Endurance and prehistory are in its mix too. And there are plenty lead by known figures and historians, like Dan Snow or Ray Mears.

Apparently History Hit also offers podcasts; I’m not a podcast kind of guy, but that’s another bonus for those of you who are.

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tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford)