Hi there! During the global pandemic (that is slowly but surely subsiding), we were all glued to our screens – whether it is the TV screen, the laptop screen, or our tried and tested 24 X 7 companions, the mobile or smartphone screen. We watched, we binged, we Netflixed and chilled – and all the while, we figured out ways to share passwords and accounts for apps!
That was one of the major themes underpinning the ‘stay home, stay safe’ method of avoiding the dreadful coronavirus: sharing and caring for our family and friends through tough times.
So how much time and money did you spend on watching content streaming through screens?
Never mind, it’s probably an embarrassing number on both counts, and we don’t want to know.
What we can tell you, though, is that there are plenty of watching options that have come from app development studios that were working either in-house with streaming giants or hired for a one-off project to make people who love watching (or “streaming”) TV shows and movies happy.
Without further ado, here are 5 Streaming Apps with Tonnes of Free Content to Watch!
- Rakuten: a Japanese platform, Rakuten TV is part of the offerings from the $7 billion Rakuten Group, an internet services giant with a global presence. All you need to do to watch some great free TV shows and movies (along with documentaries and content for kids in case you want to plop them down while you take care of house chores) is to sign up with an email and then select the “Free” tab on their app, website, or Xbox plugin. Additionally, you can cast the content onto your TV screen via Chromecast et cetera.
- Plex: this ad-supported (like most, if not all, of the streaming apps on this list) offering is from a US based software company also named Plex. They have a huge international presence, serving viewers in over 200 countries! That seems like a lot! The unique thing about Plex streaming, though, is that you get to display your own media (pictures, movies, songs) alongside the content on the app – that makes it so much cooler! With this functionality, not only can you dip into your favorites at any time, but you can also entertain guests with your own selection of media, and impress new friends much more!
- Pluto TV: No, this is not the lovably goofy dog of Goofy from Disney – this is a Viacom 18 owned app that works on iOS, Android and Amazon devices (think of Kindle and its many variants). The app developer probably did not have to work too hard on this app because it has quite basic functions – channel surfing like old-school TV used to be like.
- Popcorn Flix: this is a streaming service that earns from ads as well, with the tighter limitation of being a United States-only app. While that does cut down on the number of audience it can attract, it has quite a wide range of independent films, web series et cetera that you might never see on the big screen – when the COVID pandemic is over.
- BFI Player: if you have a thing for old classics, documentaries, archival footage, musicals, vintage TV dramas, and weird films that rarely make it out of the film festival circuit, then the British Film Institute streaming app is just what you need for dog days, whether you are tech magnates in the Silicon Valley or app developers in Australia. Not only is it completely free, but there is no sign up required, either, so you can just fire it up and start watching! Be ready for some mind-twisting fare among the boring docs!
Obviously, all these free streaming apps make their money from ads, so be prepared to skip a lot (unless you like ads) when the ad or app allows – and when it doesn’t, just sit through them!
Go ahead, binger, make my day! Happy streaming!
