This one is a “no brainer.”
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“If only there was just one more streaming service I could watch,” said no one. Ever.
Yet here we are: Yesterday former executives of Disney and Discovery announced a new streaming platform called “Struum,” which will make its debut this spring.
Instead of offering its own original content, Struum will give viewers à la carte access to hundreds of niche streaming services without forcing them to subscribe to each individually.
Marching To The Beat Of Your Own Struum
Discovery+ notwithstanding, the streaming landscape is dominated by elephants. A whopping 95% of U.S. households subscribe to one of Netflix, Disney’s Hulu or Amazon’s Prime Video. A fourth tech giant, Apple, entered the fray in late 2019.
These well-capitalized firms have made it nearly impossible for new entrants to break in (just ask Quibi, which failed in spectacular fashion after raising nearly $2 billion in venture capital).
Struum Playbook: Inspired by ClassPass, which lets people pick and choose classes at gyms they’re not members of, Struum will do the same for streaming:
Use Case: If (for some odd reason) you're in the mood for an art-house horror flick, Struum would give piecemeal access to a streaming service like Screambox (which, you may not want to pay for every month).
The Takeaway: The venture is being backed by Tornante, the investment firm of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, who told the WSJ Struum is a “no brainer.” Famous last words in the streaming arena.