Streaming TV may never again be as simple, or as affordable, as it is now.

Disney and WarnerMedia are each launching their own streaming services in 2019 in a challenge to Netflix害羞草研究所檚 dominance. Netflix viewers will no longer be able to watch hit movies such as 害羞草研究所淏lack Panther害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所淢oana,害羞草研究所� which will soon reside on Disney害羞草研究所檚 subscription service. WarnerMedia, a unit of AT&T, will also soon have its own service to showcase its library of blockbuster films and HBO series.

Families will have to decide between paying more each month or losing access to some of their favourite dramas, comedies, musicals and action flicks.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 definitely a lot of change coming,害羞草研究所� said Paul Verna at eMarketer, a digital research company. 害羞草研究所淧eople will have more choices of what to stream, but at the same time the market is already fragmented and intimidating and it is only going to get more so.害羞草研究所�

Media companies are seeking to capitalize on the popularity and profitability of streaming. But by fragmenting the market, they害羞草研究所檙e also narrowing the once wide selection that fueled the rise of internet-based video. About 55 per cent of U.S. households now subscribe to paid streaming video services, up from just 10 per cent in 2009, according to research firm Deloitte.

Just as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime tempted people to 害羞草研究所渃ut the cord害羞草研究所� by cancelling traditional cable TV packages, the newer services are looking to dismember those more-inclusive options.

Disney Plus is set to launch late next year with new Marvel and Star Wars programming, along with its library of animated and live-action movies and shows. It hasn害羞草研究所檛 announced pricing yet, but Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an August call with analysts that it will likely be less than Netflix, which runs $8 to $14 a month, since its library will be smaller.

AT&T plans a three-tier offering from WarnerMedia, with a slate of new and library content centred around the existing HBO streaming app. No word on pricing yet.

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Individual channels, such as Fox, ESPN, CBS and Showtime, are also getting into the act. Research group TDG predicts that every major TV network will launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service in the next five years.

Netflix and others have invested heavily in original movies and TV shows to keep their customers loyal. Netflix, for instance, said Wednesday that 45 million subscriber accounts worldwide watched the Sandra Bullock thriller 害羞草研究所淏ird Box害羞草研究所� during its first seven days on the service, the biggest first-week success of any movie made for the company害羞草研究所檚 nearly 12-year-old streaming service.

That first-week audience means nearly a third of Netflix害羞草研究所檚 137 million subscribers watched the movie from Dec. 21 through Dec. 27 害羞草研究所� a holiday-season stretch when many people aren害羞草研究所檛 working and have more free time.

But Netflix, Hulu and others may soon have to do without programs and movies licensed from their soon-to-be rivals. In December, Netflix paid a reported $100 million to continue licensing 害羞草研究所淔riends害羞草研究所� from WarnerMedia.

Why are media companies looking to get in? Data and dollars. Sure, they get money when they sell their programs to other services like Netflix. But starting their own service allows networks and studios access to valuable data about who is binging on their shows.

For services with ad-based options, that data translates into more dollars from advertisers. And services that rely only on subscription revenues, media companies can use the data to better tailor their offerings for individual tastes, helping to draw in more subscribers.

害羞草研究所淚 think all media companies are coming to grips with the reality that you better establish a relationship directly with your audiences,害羞草研究所� said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson at an analyst conference earlier this month.

The business model that some networks and content companies are currently using, distributing their TV shows and movies only by licensing them to streaming platforms, is getting 害羞草研究所渄isrupted aggressively害羞草研究所� as more companies launch their own services, said Stephenson, whose company acquired WarnerMedia in June.

Forrester analyst Jim Nail compares this moment to the 害羞草研究所淐ambrian explosion,害羞草研究所� a historic era when plant and animal species rapidly multiplied after Ice Age glaciers receded.

害羞草研究所淏ig brands like Disney have to evaluate: Are we only going to access this market by licensing our content to Netflix, Hulu and others?害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淥r, can we go direct to the consumer with our own service?害羞草研究所�

But a multiplicity of streaming services could easily overwhelm or confuse consumers. To get a full slate of programming, TV watchers may soon have to subscribe to several services instead of just one or two.

Among those options will be services like Netflix and Hulu that offer a wide range of video from a variety of sources; cable-like 害羞草研究所渟kinny bundles害羞草研究所� such as FuboTV, Sling and YouTube TV that offer a variety of live channels; and channel- or network-specific services like Disney Plus.

Consider just AT&T害羞草研究所檚 plan to launch a three-tiered service this year centred on HBO. An entry-level bundle will offer mostly movies; a second, slightly more expensive tier will include original programming and newer movies. A third and still more expensive offering would add more WarnerMedia entertainment such as 害羞草研究所淔riends.害羞草研究所�

The cost of multiple streaming services could quickly approach the average cost of a cable bill 害羞草研究所� not counting the cost of internet service. That害羞草研究所檚 around $107 per month, according to Leichtman Research Group.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 unlikely any of the services individually can charge more than $10 per month,害羞草研究所� Forrester害羞草研究所檚 Nail said. 害羞草研究所淭he great unknown is how many individual streaming services people are willing to sign up for.害羞草研究所�

Companies are already trying to tame this chaos by bundling multiple streaming services together. Amazon Prime customers can add-on subscriptions to HBO, Showtime or Starz. Roku and Chromecast viewers can access their different services from a central place; Roku said Wednesday it will start selling in-app access to Showtime, Starz and other channels as well.

How should consumers deal with all the coming change?

害羞草研究所淏e patient,害羞草研究所� said Michael Greeson, president of research group TDG. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e in a time of dramatic change for the TV and video business. There害羞草研究所檒l be great benefits, and question marks and consequences.害羞草研究所�

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press

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