7 Major Streaming Services That Were Shut Down (And Why They Failed)

The first video-on-demand streaming service, Hong Kong Telecom’s iTV, launched in 1998 and drastically changed how we watched our favorite movies and TV shows. Now, the market is dominated by a few streaming platforms that have become synonymous with watching popular media from the comfort of your home, whether it be the early pioneer Netflix or Disney+, the home of all things House of Mouse and Marvel.

However, the popularity of streaming also led to fierce competition, with some early behemoths in the medium folding and others trying to carve out their niche but failing to get enough market share to thrive. Here are seven defunct streaming platforms that we either miss or have a chuckle at their expense. Still, each of these is a vital example of how competitive the streaming space was and continues to be. RIP, you brave pioneers and mess-ups; you did your best.

7 Quibi

Launch: April 2020 — Defunct: December 2020

Quibi was created by Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former HP CEO Meg Whitman, launching in April 2020, with nearly $2 billion raised in funding. The approach to Quibi was to make easy-to-digest content, around 10 minutes in length for each episode, that was meant to be watched on the phone, a streaming service for those on the go and the ever-dwindling attention span of younger generations. The platform offered original content, including launch content like 50 States of Fright, a horror anthology that managed to make it two seasons, and a ‘fan-made’ recreation of Princess Bride from director Jason Reitman called Home Movie: The Princess Bride.

A Lot of Money Spent on Little Content

Even before its launch, there were signs of potential failure, and online commentators were already using it as a butt of many jokes. The apprehensions about a paid streaming service competing in the same realm as YouTube and TikTok, which are free, came to fruition when Quibi announced its closure six months after its launch. Besides misunderstanding the market, there were rumors of infighting between owners, massive spending without clear direction, and content that many considered mediocre. Fans may not miss Quibi, but they certainly miss poking fun at it.

6 Seeso

Launch: January 2016 — Defunct: November 2017

Seeso was an earlier streaming service launched by NBCUniversal in January 2016, focusing solely on comedy content. In the case of Seeso, it did fill a niche and offered up some quality content that would end up going to other platforms after it shut down on August 9, 2017. This includes The UCB Show, which would see a second season on Starz, and the live improv/animated series by Rick and Morty creator Dan Harmon, HarmonQuest, going to the now-defunct streaming service VRV. As far as quality comedy shows went, Seeso had potential.

Not Quite the Comedy Goldmine

The niche nature of Seeso is what ultimately sunk the streaming platform. Even offering some shows fans enjoyed, it paled compared to its competitors with content on offer and failed to steal a considerable part of the market share. At its peak, Seeso only reached about 300,000 users, insufficient to keep it in operation. While other platforms that stay genre-specific (Shudder) have found success, perhaps one of the inherent faults of focusing on comedy is how subjective the genre is, making fans less likely to indulge in a platform dedicated to it. It was good while it lasted, at least.

5 Yahoo! Screen

Launch: June 2006 (as Yahoo! Video) — Defunct: January 2016

Yahoo! Screen has its roots in the early conception of online streaming; though it launched in 2011, the service was a rebranding of Yahoo! Video, which launched in 2006. This change was to try to become a competitor in the ever-growing streaming market, with Yahoo! Screen offering original and licensed content, including Saturday Night Live; the platform even hosted one season of Community as part of its original programming.

Do You Remember When We Used to Yahoo!?

The streaming service would have a relatively long life, closing its doors in 2016 after recording substantial losses. As with many streaming services that came and went, Yahoo! Screen buckled under fierce competition and did not offer much of note for original content that kept viewers invested. Of course, this was also not helped by the continued decline of Yahoo! as a search engine, with its numbers dwindling during the 2000s and 2010s, which led to its 1.19% share of internet searches. If things turned out differently, and we were all using Yahoo! to search for our favorite entertainment news and gossip, we may still be tuning into Yahoo! Screen in 2024.

4 DC Universe

Launch: September 2018 — Defunct: January 2021

Launching on September 15, 2018, the DC Universe streaming service hosted some of the best original DC programming, including the much-loved superhero comedy show Doom Patrol, the (now) Netflix hit Titans, and the uproarious Harley Quinn. The platform also became the premiere place for all things DC, which gave fans a reason to get excited about both old and original programming based on their favorite heroes and villains.

Great Selection, Bad Timing

DC Universe does live on, sort of, changing to DC Universe Infinite in 2021 and continuing to host comic book content. Still, its move away from video content just made sense, and many felt it was inevitable when the service was announced that it would fold into another streaming service given it being overseen by Warner Bros. Most content would fall under the HBO Max brand, with the platform’s popularity offering more value to subscribers. Unfortunately, its downfall meant there were a lot of great programs fans missed out on, including being given only a single season of Swamp Thing, but the move made sense.

3 FilmStruck

Launch: November 2016 — Defunct: November 2018

FilmStruck was launched on November 1, 2016, only to close its doors two years later, on November 29, 2018. While not offering original programming, the streaming service was beloved by cinema fanatics for its selection of classics and foreign films. This would also include housing much of The Criterion Collection of films before the company launched its own streaming service in 2019. This, to many, made it invaluable at the time, and its announcement of closure had a lot of filmmakers and actors trying to convince Warner Bros. of its value.

Once the Best Place for Classic, Art House, and Foreign Cinema

Still, FilmStruck was not considered as essential to its owners as it was to its audience base, which was vocal but not substantial enough. As part of the corporate restructuring following AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, the streaming platform was closed down, with most of its programming being merged into HBO Max, which became WarnerMedia’s primary focus. At least this change also pushed Criterion to create their streaming service, giving their ample catalog a permanent home. It was a hard loss at the time for streaming, but nowadays, FilmStruck remains an afterthought.

2 Popcornflix

Launch: July 2010 — Defunct: June 2024

Popcornflix was one of the innovative streaming platforms that offered ad-supported, free streaming that later platforms like Tubi and Plex would capitalize on. Conceived in July 2010, the platform primarily focused on independent films, drawing most of its catalog from Screen Media productions behind such notable indie films as Corporate Animals, The Bad Batch, and Bel Canto. This gave the platform an interesting catalog of indie gems often lost on other platforms and a chance to check them out for free. Popcornflix also benefited from being available on multiple devices.

The Slow Fall of a Streaming Staple

The major failure of Popcornflix came from the disastrous end of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which owned Screen Media, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 29, 2024; this came after an announcement of $636.6 million in losses in 2023. Everything had to go; all assets needed to be liquidated, including Popcornflix. It is hard to say Popcornflix is ‘missed,’ but it was such a long-time staple of streaming, existing just outside the periphery of others, that it was certainly recognized; still, with better free streaming platforms taking its place, it just feels like a relic despite only closing this year. If you feel nostalgic, there is still the YouTube channel that carries on the streaming platform’s legacy.

1 Funimation

Launch: January 2016 — Defunct: April 2024

Founded back in 1994, Funimation is one of the early pioneers of anime distribution, and its transfer into streaming in 2016 seemed like a natural progression. The streaming service offered some of the most popular anime ever, including standout action titles like Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, and Attack on Titan. Over 800 series were on the service, including both dub and sub versions. Moreover, users could use the service to access titles purchased through redeemable codes from physical media. While it could have stayed in operation with its size and catalog, the decision came to merge it into Crunchyroll on April 2, 2024, both of which are owned by Sony Pictures.

The End of an Era of Anime Streaming

The end of Funimation is not so much a RIP as it is a point of contention among anime fans, with its folding into Crunchyroll leaving those who redeemed codes for digital copies potentially losing access to many series and movies. While Crunchyroll has attempted to mitigate the process by offering access to lost properties through other means or offering discounted subscriptions for other users on a case-by-case basis, the reaction remains mixed; this is before even addressing the increase in subscription cost. Funimation will be missed by those who built libraries on the platform, even though other streaming companies like Crunchyroll and Netflix have taken up the cause of providing premiere anime content. Its closure will likely remain a soft spot for anime fans for a long time.