Lots of cool and interesting platforms in this one. You can also check out my posts on good streaming options, some questionable ones, and where the big players stack up.
PBS Kids: Separate free app from PBS Passport for all PBS Kids content.
What they have: Beyond popular kids shows, they also have laugh and sing along videos, emotional well-being content, and other educational content. They also have PBS Kids for Parents with parenting resources and tips, birthday party planning and kids activities ideas.
Top Shows: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Alma’s Way, Wild Kratts, Lyla in the Loop
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Vizio & Samsung TVs, Chromecast, more info here
Cost: Free with ads
Available in: US
Kidoodle.TV: Over 50,000 episodes of popular kids shows and movies for ages 0-12.
The Details: Owned by A Parent Media Co. Inc (APMC), which is privately held and funded through venture capital. APMC also owns streaming services Victory+, Dude Perfect, and Glitch+. APMC doesn’t have a public diversity policy, but their careers page mentions diversity. APMC does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
What they have: More shows/movies than shorter videos, also have some games on the app
Top shows: Paw Patrol Pup Tales, Peppa Pig, Meekah, SpongeBob SquarePants, Danny Go! and more
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, LG, Sharp, Vizio, Hisense & Samsung TVs, Chromecast, Vewd, Jio, VIDAA
Cost: Free with ads
Available In: Over 80 countries and territories across the world
Sensical: Educational videos and series that have been reviewed and selected by editors. Sensical’s proprietary rubric for content evaluation is rooted in child development research that was developed in partnership between Common Sense Media and the Harvard School of Education to choose content appropriate for kids of different ages.
The Details: Owned by Cricket Media. Cricket Media’s ownership is a little murky – if you look at Pitchbook it says they were acquired in 2018, I believe by ZG Ventures, which is an investment firm that seems to be out of business now. However, the founder of ZG Ventures, Miles Gilburne, is listed as the Co-Chairman and Co-Founder of Cricket Media on their site. My impression is that it’s privately owned by Miles Gilburne/ZG Ventures and potentially other smaller investors. Cricket Media does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
What they have: Video content for kids ages 2-10 (COPPA Compliant) that tends to be more educational/learning versus cartoon shows
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Vizio & Samsung TVs
Cost: Free with ads
Available In: US, Canada only
Happy Kids: Kid-safe popular shows, movies, songs, and stories, along with educational vlogs, DIY projects, and gaming videos.
The Details: Owned by Future Today Inc, which almost merged with Cinedigm in 2020 but the deal fell through. As far as I can tell Future Today Inc remains independently owned by the founders Alok Ranjan and Vikrant Mathur, as their LinkedIn states they are a “minority-owned, independent publisher”. Future Today Inc does not have a public diversity policy and does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
What they have: COPPA-compliant shows and videos categorized by age from 0-13
Top Shows/Videos: Roblox, Cocomelon, Blippi, Minecraft, Sonic, tons more!
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Sling, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Vizio & Samsung TVs, Chromecast, VIDAA; Xfinity, Comcast, & COX
Cost: Free with ads
Available In: Worldwide, though content may vary by country/region
ScholasticTV: Launched less than a month ago on Sept 17th, ScholasticTV is the new streaming service for Scholastic content.
The Details: Publicly traded with insiders as the largest shareholder group (18.5%). Scholastic has not spent any money on lobbying in the last two years and supports diversity. They are partnering with Future Today for their streaming service (see above).
What they have: Content for kids ages 2-12 (COPPA compliant) with over 400 hours of premium content from Scholastic.
Top Shows: Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Magic School Bus, Goosebumps, The Baby-Sitters Club, Animorphs, Garfield, Barney & Friends
How to stream: They just launched, so right now it’s only available on Roku and FireTV but they have noted more platforms are coming
Cost: Free with ads
Available in: US – I think it may be available in more countries but given it just launched I’m having a hard time finding the info.
UPDATE Oct 2024: Crunchyroll has neither confirmed or denied they’re working with OOONA, an Israeli AI translation firm. The fact that they won’t deny it is sketchy to me, I feel like if they weren’t working with them they would just state that. It’s weird!
RetroCrush: Curated classic anime movies and TV shows from the 70s, 80s, and 90s both live and on demand.
The Details: Owned by Cineverse, which also owns other Free Ad-Supported (FAST) channels like Midnight Pulp, AsianCrush, Screambox, and the Dove channel. Cineverse is publicly traded with Corsair Capital Management LP as the largest shareholder at 5.3%. Cineverse does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor do they have a public diversity policy.
Dubs or Subs? Mix of dubbed and subtitled content, though given the classic nature of the shows it skews more towards subs.
Popular Shows: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Future Boy Conan, Terror in Resonance, Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water, Space Adventure Cobra – many more cool ones!
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV; LG, Vizio & Samsung TVs
Cost: Free with ads. You can upgrade to a paid tier for $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr, but it seems like the paid tier is supposed to be ad-free but some ads still sneak through, so not sure it’s worth it.
Available in: US only
Netflix: Netflix has a lot of the big name series like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and One Piece and tons of other anime shows and movies. UPDATE Oct 2025: Netflix also uses OOONA, an Israeli AI translation firm.
The Details: Covered here. Netflix founder and chairman Reed Hastings donates a lot to Democrats, but the co-CEO Ted Sarandos had defended Dave Chappelle’s Netflix Special that had incendiary remarks against trans people. Netflix has its issues but I would say it’s definitely less worse than most major streaming platforms because it’s not giving tons of money to Trump or Republicans.
Dubs or Subs? Most shows are available as either dubs or subs.
What they have: DAN DA DAN, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, One Piece (anime), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Sakamoto Days, Record of Ragnarok and tons more! Delicious in Dungeon is one of the most fun anime series I’ve seen in a long time – if you love cooking and DnD, check it out.
More questionable
I don’t like these companies that much. But given the limited platforms in the US anime space right now, if these options work for the anime you want to watch and you can’t get it anywhere else, then more power to you.
HIDIVE: Anime simulcasts, freshly dubbed series, uncensored titles and tons of shows and movies.
The Details: Covered here. AMC Networks owns HIDIVE, and they have ties to Trump through their Chairman of the Board, James Dolan, among other issues.
Dubs or Subs? If you’re more of a dubs fan HIDIVE is probably for you, though I believe they have both.
Top Shows: Oshi No Ko, Call of the Night, Sword of the Demon Hunter
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV; LG, Vizio & Samsung TVs, XBOX
Cost: $6.99/mo or $69.99/yr
Available in: North America
Tubi: Free, ad-supported streaming app with a surprisingly large and varied anime offering.
The Details: Owned by Fox.
What they have: Classic anime series and newer releases.
Top Shows: Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Naruto, Sailor Moon
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV; Hisense, LG, Vizio & Samsung TVs; Chromecast, XBOX, Playstation, TiVo, Xfinity, COX, more info here
Available in: US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, UK, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama
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KweliTV: Black woman founded and owned streaming service. Movies, films, TV shows and more made by Black creators from around the world, showcasing Black stories and experiences representing the US, Canada, Africa, The Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The Details: Owned and founded by DeShuna Spencer and funded by the community. KweliTV does not have a profile on OpenSecrets. One cool thing they do is the kweliDEALS program, which spotlights different Black-owned businesses in their ads.
What they have: Over 800 Black titles and web shows which you can view by region, genre, category.
Top Shows/Movies: Paris Blues in Harlem, 1804 – The Hidden History of Haiti, Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, Afro Algorithms, Car Therapy
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung TVs, Chromecast, DistroTV, Xfinity, COX. More info here
Cost: Ad-free streaming for $5.99/mo, $49.99/yr, or with ads for $2.99/mo for non-kid content and $1.99/mo for KweliKIDS.
Available in: Worldwide
Watermelon+: Streaming service focused on Palestinian voices and stories, and from other marginalized groups.
The Details: Owned by Watermelon Pictures, which in turn is owned by MPI Media Group. MPI Media Group is a family-owned company started by Palestinian-American immigrants Malik Ali and his brother Waleed Ali in 1976 and now run by Malik’s sons Hamza and Badie Ali. MPI Media does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
What they have: Award-winning documentaries and festival favorites, mostly focused on films/movies but with some other shorter content as well
Top Movies: The Glassworker, From Ground Zero, Sudan, Remember Us
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, more info here
Cost: $7.99/mo, $84.99/yr for ad-free streaming
Available in: Worldwide
Nebula: Videos, documentaries, podcasts, and classes from your favorite creators and others.
The Details: Creator-owned streaming service with 50/50 profit split between creators and Nebula Entertainment & Broadcasting (which in turn is 100% creator-owned). Dave Wiskus, the founder, explains in more detail in this Reddit comment (his username is “dwiskus”). Nebula does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy, but this interview with Wiskus highlights Nebula’s approach to ensuring diversity of talent and perspectives.
What they have: Original content, but tends to be more YouTube-style videos, though they do have feature-length movies and documentaries. There’s a Reddit post with some top shows/creators to get started with, and a similar more recent post here.
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV. More info here
Cost: $6/mo or $60/year for ad-free streaming
Available in: Most countries worldwide
2nd Try: Founded by The Try Guys, 2nd Try features original shows and podcasts from the group.
The Details: I can’t find full details on ownership, but I also didn’t see anything for private equity or other funding. I’m pretty sure its owned by them outright, though however that ownership splits out amongst the group is unclear.
What they have: Shows like Escape the Kitchen, Trolley Problems, Late Night Eats with Keith, Drop Into City, The Die Guys
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, LG, Samsung, Vizio Smart TVs. More info here
Cost: $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr for ad-free streaming
Available in: Most countries worldwide
Curiosity Stream: Science, nature, and history documentaries originals and some programming from partners like the BBC.
The Details: Owned by Curiosity Inc, a publicly traded company with insiders owning the largest percentage (~30%). Curiosity Inc. has not spent any money on lobbying in the last two years and does not have a public diversity policy.
What they have: Originals, space, prehistoric creatures, extraordinary women, feel-good films, and many more collections
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, LG, Vizio & Samsung TVs, Chromecast, XBOX, more info here
Cost: $4.99/mo, or $39.99/yr
Available In: Worldwide, though content may vary by country/region
MeansTV: MeansTV is a worker-owned streaming service set up in a worker cooperative structure, which basically means the workers also own the company and distribute the profits amongst themselves, and make decisions democratically. Very cool!
What they have: Films, documentaries, shows – including a daily news show! While they do have a lot of content on serious topics, they also have comedy!
Top Shows: Seize the Memes, Means Morning News, Second Thought, Preserving Worlds, many more
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV
Cost: $10/mo or $110/yr for ad-free streaming
Available in: Worldwide
Eternal Family: If you like weird, unique, and obscure independent movies and TV shows, Eternal Family might be for you. They focus on preserving unique and rare media, but also showcase animation and other work from newer artists and creators.
The Details: Eternal Family was founded by Cole Kush, a Canadian animator and director, and still owned and operated by him. Based on this 2020 Fader article, Eternal Family splits revenue with artists featured on the platform (60%) and the remainder (40%) goes to platform costs, staff, licensing, etc.
What they have: Here’s a little sizzle reel that I think help gives an idea of their content.
Top Shows/Movies: Top watched content this month, Staff Picks
How to stream: Web, iOS, Android; streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV, more info here
Cost: $9.99/mo, $27.99 for 3 mo, or $99.99/yr for ad-free streaming
Available in: North America
Next week I’ll dive into where to get physical media (DVDs, CDs, etc) and media management platforms.
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