This week, Amazon announced it was rebranding its IMDb TV free streaming service, and a new report suggests HBO Max has cracked the top three streaming services in terms of market share. Elsewhere, we learned of still more Major League Baseball games going the streaming route, and we took a good, long look at Luna, Amazon’s take on cloud gaming.
Here’s what happened in the world of cord cutting and streaming.
Breaking News
Here are some of the top streaming stories from the past week.
Amazon’s Free Streaming Service IMDb TV is Rebranding to Amazon Freevee
Later this month, free streaming service IMDb TV will change its name to Freevee. The rebranding comes as Amazon looks to grow its free streaming option, while also clearing up some branding confusion with the existing, but distinct IMDb.
Check out the Freevee details here.
CNN+ is Coming to Roku This Week
CNN’s paid streaming service launched late last month without support for Roku’s platforms. This week, however, the company announced its app has been updated to include access to CNN+ and Roku users can grab the new version via the Channel Store.
Learn more about CNN+ arriving on Roku here.
Acorn TV’s Price Hike Goes into Full Effect Next Month – Here’s How to Avoid It
Existing Acorn TV subscribers have a little bit of time left before a new price hike goes into effect. Fans can lock in the previous rate for a little while longer though.
See how to avoid Acorn TV’s price hike for a little longer here.
YouTube and MLB Renew Their Partnership for 2022 Season to Live Stream 15 Games for Free
Baseball is back on YouTube as the streaming platform and Major League Baseball announced a renewed partnership. The deal will include 15 games this season, all streamed for free.
Check out the schedule of upcoming games here.
Amazon Luna Review: Solid Tech, But What About That Games Library?
In our latest topical deep dive video, we explored the world of Luna, Amazon’s take on cloud gaming. The service offers up dozens of games, all available to stream via a supported device, like a Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Does Luna successfully serve up a console-like experience? And what about that Luna controller?
Check out our video review of Amazon Luna here.
Industry Report
What’s the latest on the industry?
The WarnerBros. Discovery Deal Has Closed
The merger between Discovery and AT&T has officially closed and now the wait is on to see what the new WarnerBros. Discovery will do next. Eventually, the company aims to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single streaming service, but that timeline is still TBD.
See the latest details on the WarnerBros. Discovery deal here.
‘MLB Sunday Leadoff’ Will Be the Name of Peacock & NBC Sports Sunday Morning MLB Package
We recently reported on a new deal to bring Sunday morning baseball games to Peacock. And this week, we learned that those streams will officially be branded as MLB Sunday Leadoff.
Here’s the latest on Peacock’s baseball streaming plans here.
National Geographic Launches New Subscription Package with Disney+
National Geographic is offering a new package that includes exclusive online content, print issues of its magazine, and access to Disney+. The offer includes monthly plans as well as annual options.
Check out the NatGeo details here.
Report: HBO Max Now Third Largest in Market Share, Overtakes Disney+ and Hulu
A new report suggests HBO Max’s recent strong growth has pushed it into the top three streaming services, alongside Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Disney+ and Hulu round out the top five, at least according to JustWatch.
Learn more about the latest streaming service stats here.
Deal Alert
Save some cash with these current and upcoming deals.
Best Streaming Deals This Weekend — Save on Fire TV, Nintendo, Roku, and More
This week’s deals include solid discounts on Fire TV gear, and the Roku Streambar. Elsewhere, gamers can save on Nintendo’s Switch Online service with a Sandisk memory card.