8 niche streamers that are outperforming major platforms

Niche and genre-based streamers like the family-friendly Hallmark, anime-centric Crunchyroll (SONY), and Anglophile-favorite BritBox have been outpacing the subscription growth of major rivals. In 2024, subscriptions to specialty streaming platforms have risen nearly 20%, while subscriptions to larger mainstream services – like Netflix $NFLX (NFLX), Max (WBD), etc., have only grown roughly 7%, according to a recent report from the streaming analytics firm Antenna.

In the second quarter of the year, subscriptions for eight niche streamers grew at a faster pace than Disney $DIS+ (DIS) (1%) and Max (2%) subscriptions.

Here are the eight specialty streamers that are growing faster than some media giants.

Hallmark +, formerly known as Hallmark Movies Now, is the streaming home of the distinctly heartwarming and low-budget family movies the cable and greeting card company has become known for. Subscriptions for the service grew 3% in the second quarter of 2024.

UP Faith & Family is another family-focused streaming service, however, it has a stronger emphasis on religious content compared to Hallmark. Its number of subscribers rose 5%.

Vix is a Spanish-language streaming platform owned by TelevisaUnivision, the parent company of the American broadcast network Univision. The streaming service includes series, movies, reality TV shows, and telenovelas. Its subscribers also grew 5%.

BET+ (PARA) is a streaming platform focusing on programming created by and for the Black community. It is jointly operated by Tyler Perry Studios and BET Media Group, a division of Paramount $PARA Global. Its subscriptions grew 7%.

BritBox, owned by BBC Studios, is a streaming service targeted at Anglophiles. It has thousands of TV shows and movies from the U.K. Subscriptions for the service grew 8% in Q2, outpacing Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max.

Crunchyroll is a streaming service owned by Sony $SONY that is dedicated to anime, or Japanese animation. Its subscriber base grew by 12%

MGM+ (AMZN) is the streaming service of the storied film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a subsidiary of Amazon $AMZN. The platform is home to MGM classics, new hits; such as Challengers and Top Gun: Maverick; and even original series. Its number of subscribers rose 14%.

Lastly, AMC+ (AMCX) had the biggest growth among niche streamers. It is the streaming platform of AMC Networks, including the cable channels AMC, BBC America, IFC, and Sundance TV. Its gross subscriptions grew 15%, nearly matching Netflix $NFLX’s 16% growth at the time.