TV Shows & Streaming Database — Deep Research Brief, Part 01: U.S. Streaming Platforms, Plans, Prices, and Ownership
100 preserved extracts. Research planning document; requested work is not evidence that the work was completed.
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TV Shows & Streaming Database — Deep Research Brief, Part 01: U.S. Streaming Platforms, Plans, Prices, and Ownership
Companion to: Deep Research Brief: TV Shows Across Every Streaming Platform — Building the Definitive TV Database, Tracker, and "Where to Watch" Guide (file: deep-research-brief-tv-shows-streaming-database.md). Use the master brief's confidence scale, record schemas, and research standards.
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TV Shows & Streaming Database — Deep Research Brief, Part 01: U.S. Streaming Platforms, Plans, Prices, and Ownership
Research window: January 1, 2019 – September 15, 2026 (with emphasis on the last 24 months). Research date must be stated (this brief drafted September 17, 2026; record the date each fact was checked).
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TV Shows & Streaming Database — Deep Research Brief, Part 01: U.S. Streaming Platforms, Plans, Prices, and Ownership
Conduct exhaustive research on every streaming video service a U.S. viewer can subscribe to, watch for free, or reach through a channel store, bundle, or carrier perk, covering ownership, plans, prices, ad tiers, household rules, playback quality, device support, deep links, catalog size, originals output, subscriber counts, and every rename, merger, and shutdown since 2019. The goal is a verified, timestamped U.S. platform directory that powers the website's service pages, "which services do I need" optimizer, subscription cost calculator, price-history charts, and "where to watch" provider list, with a record schema that can absorb the frequent changes in this market.
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1. How to research this part
Treat every named service, plan, price, date, and subscriber figure here as a lead to verify, not a fact. Several services changed name, owner, or price in the last 18 months.
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1. How to research this part
Minimum coverage: at least 120 U.S. platform records (SVOD, AVOD/FAST, vMVPD, channel-store add-ons, niche services), at least 400 plan records (one per plan per service), and at least 1,500 price-history rows (plan × effective date × price).
- NOTE 3450
1. How to research this part
Prefer, in order: the service's plans page and help center; SEC filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, shareholder letters); official press sites (Netflix, Disney Newsroom, Paramount Pressroom, NBCUniversal Media Village, WBD Press) (verify URLs); then trades (Variety, THR, Deadline, The Verge, Cord Cutters News). Use Wayback Machine snapshots for historical prices and cite the snapshot date.
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1. How to research this part
Record an "as of" date and source URL on every price, plan feature, and subscriber number. Record the effective date for new subscribers and, separately, for existing subscribers (they often differ by 30–60 days).
- NOTE 3452
1. How to research this part
Distinguish list price, promotional price, annual-plan price, student/military pricing, and bundle price. Never store a promo as the list price.
- NOTE 3453
1. How to research this part
Do not use false account details, geo-restriction workarounds, or scraping that violates terms; manual review plus archived snapshots suffices.
- NOTE 3454
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
Define and tag each record with one primary type and any secondary types:
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2. Service taxonomy for the directory
SVOD: Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Apple TV, Prime Video (bundled with Prime and standalone), Hulu, Starz, MGM+, AMC+, BET+, Crunchyroll.
- NOTE 3456
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
Hybrid ad tier: the ad-supported plan of an SVOD (Netflix Standard with ads, Disney+ Basic, HBO Max Basic with Ads, Peacock Premium, Paramount+ Essential, Prime Video default with ads) (verify plan names).
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2. Service taxonomy for the directory
AVOD/FAST: Tubi (Fox), Pluto TV (Paramount Skydance), The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Xumo Play (Comcast/Charter JV) (verify), Plex, Vizio WatchFree+, Crackle (Chicken Soup for the Soul collapse; verify current owner), Sling Freestream, Local Now, Filmrise, Amazon's former Freevee (shut down 2025; verify where content moved), YouTube.
- NOTE 3458
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
vMVPD / live TV: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV (and Fubo after Disney–Fubo combination closed Oct 2025) (verify how the two products are now structured), Sling TV Orange/Blue, DirecTV Stream (and its genre packs), Philo, Frndly TV, Vidgo (verify), ESPN DTC tier with linear networks, Fox One.
- NOTE 3459
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
Channel stores: Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, Roku Premium Subscriptions, YouTube Primetime Channels, Samsung/LG store integrations. Record which services sell through each and whether ad-free or ad plans are offered there.
- NOTE 3460
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
TVOD/EST storefronts: Apple TV app store, Prime Video store, Google TV/YouTube Movies & TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu) (verify), Microsoft Store (verify whether still selling TV).
- NOTE 3461
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
Sports-first services with episodic content: ESPN (DTC launched Aug 2025), Fox One (Aug 2025), DAZN, NBA League Pass, Victory+ (verify).
- NOTE 3462
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
Creator and independent: Nebula, Dropout, Angel Studios Guild, Curiosity Stream, Means TV (verify status).
- NOTE 3463
2. Service taxonomy for the directory
Microdrama apps: ReelShort (Crazy Maple Studio), DramaBox (StoryMatrix), GoodShort, ShortMax, FlexTV, DramaWave, MyDrama (verify owners). Record pricing model (coins, weekly passes) separately from monthly subscriptions.
- NOTE 3464
3. Major SVOD services: required fields and questions
For each of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Apple TV, Starz, MGM+, AMC+, BET+:
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3.1 Ownership and corporate history
Current parent, ultimate parent, and ticker. Examples to verify: Paramount+ under Paramount Skydance (merger closed Aug 7, 2025); HBO Max under Warner Bros. Discovery with the pending Paramount Skydance acquisition (board deemed bid superior Feb 26, 2026; shareholder approval Apr 2026; EU approval Jul 2026; 12-state suit Jul 2026; closing not expected before 2027) (verify every step); Hulu wholly owned by Disney after the Comcast stake buyout (verify appraisal outcome and final payment); Peacock under Comcast after the Versant spin-off (Jan 2026) (verify which networks' content remains with Peacock); Starz independent after Lionsgate separation (May 2025); MGM+ under Amazon; BET+ under Paramount Skydance (verify any Tyler Perry stake changes).
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3.1 Ownership and corporate history
Log every rename with date and reason: HBO Max → Max (May 2023) → HBO Max (July 2025); Apple TV+ → Apple TV (Oct 2025); Epix → MGM+ (Jan 2023); CBS All Access → Paramount+ (Mar 2021); Showtime folded into Paramount+ with Showtime (2023) and later brand changes (verify); Discovery+ status (verify whether still standalone); Starz and "Lionsgate+" international exits (verify).
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3.1 Ownership and corporate history
Question: what does the pending Paramount–WBD combination mean for plan continuity, and what has been officially said about combining HBO Max and Paramount+? Separate company statements from analyst speculation.
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3.2 Plans and prices
Every current plan: name, monthly price, annual price, ads (yes/limited/none), max streams, max download devices, max resolution, HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+), audio (5.1, Dolby Atmos, spatial), and extra-member add-on price.
- NOTE 3469
3.2 Plans and prices
Worked example (verify every value): Netflix U.S. after the January 2025 increase — Standard with ads $7.99, Standard $17.99, Premium $24.99, extra member $6.99 (ads) / $8.99 (no ads). Note whether a 2026 increase occurred. Record 2019 baseline ($8.99 Basic, $12.99 Standard, $15.99 Premium) and each change date in between.
- NOTE 3470
3.2 Plans and prices
Worked example (verify): Prime Video — ads introduced Jan 29, 2024 with $2.99 ad-free add-on; add-on replaced by "Prime Video Ultra" at $4.99/mo with 4K moved into it (2026). Questions: did Dolby Vision/Atmos also move behind Ultra? Do Prime Video Channels subscribers see ads in Prime content? What is standalone Prime Video price ($8.99; verify)?
- NOTE 3471
3.2 Plans and prices
Disney bundles: Disney+ Basic/Premium, Disney+ & Hulu Duo Basic/Premium, Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle (launched July 2024; verify prices), Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Trio, and ESPN Unlimited bundles (verify Aug 2025 pricing).
- NOTE 3472
3.2 Plans and prices
Peacock: Premium and Premium Plus prices, NBA-driven increases (verify July 2025 increase), and the Apple TV + Peacock bundle (Oct 2025; verify).
- NOTE 3473
3.2 Plans and prices
Apple TV: price history $4.99 (2019) → $6.99 (2022) → $9.99 (2023) → $12.99 (Aug 2025) (verify); Apple One tiers; whether an ad tier exists (verify, likely not as of research date).
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3.2 Plans and prices
Produce: a price-history table per service, 2019–2026, with columns plan, price, effective date (new), effective date (existing), source, archived URL.
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3.3 Ad tiers
Ad load (minutes per hour as stated by company or measured by third parties), ad-tier share of sign-ups where disclosed (Netflix has disclosed share of sign-ups in ad markets; verify latest), content excluded from ad tiers (licensing holdouts), and whether downloads are allowed on ad plans.
- NOTE 3476
3.4 Household and password-sharing rules
Netflix paid sharing (U.S. rollout May 2023), Disney+ paid sharing (U.S. Sept–Oct 2024), HBO Max crackdown (extra member add-on; 2025 wide rollout) (verify), Hulu household rules, Peacock and Paramount+ policies (verify whether enforced).
- NOTE 3477
3.4 Household and password-sharing rules
Fields: household definition text, verification method (home Wi-Fi/device check, email code), travel allowance, extra member price, max extra members per plan, whether extra members get own login.
- NOTE 3478
3.5 Device support and deep links
Record apps on iOS, iPadOS, Android, Android TV/Google TV, Apple tvOS, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Vizio SmartCast, Xbox, PlayStation, Chromecast casting, AirPlay, web browsers (with DRM level limits, e.g., Widevine L3 capping resolution in Chrome) (verify per service).
- NOTE 3479
3.5 Device support and deep links
Deep links: does the service publish universal links / Android App Links for title and episode pages? URL patterns to document (verify each): netflix.com/title/{id}, primevideo.com/detail/{ASIN}, disneyplus.com/series/{slug}/{id} (and the newer browse entity format), hbomax.com / play.max.com show URLs, tv.apple.com/us/show/{slug}/{umc.cmc.id}, peacocktv.com/watch/asset/.... Does the service participate in Apple TV app "Up Next" integration, Google TV watchlist/continue-watching, or Roku's content feed? Record episode-level deep-link support separately from title-level.
- NOTE 3480
3.6 Catalog size and originals
Catalog counts by type (TV series vs. films) with source and date. Distinguish company-stated counts from third-party counts (JustWatch, Reelgood, Ampere, What's on Netflix). Explain why counts disagree (seasons vs. series, regional variants, kids profiles).
- NOTE 3481
3.6 Catalog size and originals
Originals output: number of original series premieres per year 2019–2026; share of catalog that is original; licensed-in second-window deals (e.g., HBO shows licensed to Netflix from 2023; Disney/ABC titles to Netflix) (verify).
- NOTE 3482
3.7 Subscribers and financial disclosure
Netflix stopped reporting quarterly subscriber numbers starting Q1 2025 (verify); record last reported global paid memberships (~301.6M end of 2024; verify) and any later milestones disclosed.
- NOTE 3483
3.7 Subscribers and financial disclosure
Disney stopped reporting Disney+ and Hulu subscriber counts starting fiscal 2026 (verify); record the last reported numbers.
- NOTE 3484
3.7 Subscribers and financial disclosure
WBD reports global DTC subscribers (verify latest quarter). Paramount Skydance reports Paramount+ subscribers (verify latest). Peacock subscribers reported by Comcast (verify: ~41M in 2025). Apple does not report Apple TV subscribers. Amazon reports ad-supported reach claims (e.g., "over 200 million monthly viewers" globally; verify) rather than subscribers.
- NOTE 3485
3.7 Subscribers and financial disclosure
Produce: subscriber time series per service, quarterly where available, with metric definition (paid memberships, subscribers incl. wholesale, monthly active accounts), region split, and footnotes for methodology changes.
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4. FAST, AVOD, and free services
For Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Xumo Play, Plex, Vizio WatchFree+, Crackle, Sling Freestream, Local Now, and YouTube: owner, login requirement, on-demand vs. linear channel counts, number of TV series available on demand, ad load, device reach, and monthly active users as reported (e.g., Tubi's reported MAUs and share in Nielsen The Gauge; verify).
- NOTE 3487
4. FAST, AVOD, and free services
Freevee case study: IMDb TV (2019) → Amazon Freevee (Apr 2022) → shutdown (2025). Questions: which originals moved to Prime Video (e.g., Bosch: Legacy, Jury Duty, High School) (verify), what happened to free access for non-Prime users, and how did "where to watch" sites update records?
- NOTE 3488
5. vMVPD and live TV services
For YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, Philo, Frndly TV, and the ESPN DTC and Fox One services: base price history 2019–2026 (e.g., YouTube TV $49.99 in 2019 → $82.99 in Jan 2025; verify), channel counts, local broadcast coverage (ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox/PBS affiliates by DMA), cloud DVR limits, simultaneous streams, 4K add-ons, sports add-ons, regional sports networks.
- NOTE 3489
5. vMVPD and live TV services
Carriage disputes as availability events: YouTube TV–Disney (fall 2025 blackout; verify dates and outcome), YouTube TV–Paramount and –NBCUniversal negotiations (verify), DirecTV–Disney (Sept 2024), Fubo–Disney antitrust suit resolution via Disney–Fubo deal (verify). Log each as a dated event affecting network show availability.
- NOTE 3490
5. vMVPD and live TV services
Question: should network VOD inside vMVPDs appear as "with live TV subscription" availability?
- NOTE 3491
5. vMVPD and live TV services
Should episodes on FAST linear channels count as "available"? Recommend a separate "linear FAST channel" availability type.
- NOTE 3492
6. Channel stores, bundles, and carrier perks
Channel-store matrix: for each of Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, Roku Premium Subscriptions, and YouTube Primetime Channels, list every add-on sold (e.g., HBO Max, Paramount+, Starz, MGM+, AMC+, BritBox, Acorn TV, Shudder, Crunchyroll, Hallmark+), price vs. direct price, and plan tier offered. Note removals (HBO/Max left Prime Video Channels in 2021 and returned in 2024; verify).
- NOTE 3493
6. Channel stores, bundles, and carrier perks
Service-to-service bundles: Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max; Apple TV + Peacock; Netflix within carrier plans; Paramount+ with Walmart+ (verify current partner); Peacock via Instacart+ (verify); Crunchyroll with other services (verify).
- NOTE 3494
6. Channel stores, bundles, and carrier perks
Carrier and ISP perks, with plan eligibility and "as of" date: Verizon myPlan/myHome perks (Disney Bundle, Netflix & Max, YouTube Premium, Apple One) (verify prices); T-Mobile Go5G/Experience plans with Netflix and Apple TV (verify); AT&T and HBO Max (historical, 2020–2023); Xfinity StreamSaver (Netflix, Apple TV, Peacock; verify); Spectrum TV Select including Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+ ad tiers (verify 2023–2025 deals); Cox, Optimum, Mint.
- NOTE 3495
6. Channel stores, bundles, and carrier perks
Produce: a bundle table with bundle ID, component plans, bundle price, savings vs. separate, provider, eligibility, start date, end date.
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7. Niche and genre services
Research at least 60 niche U.S. services. Leads (verify every owner and status):
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7. Niche and genre services
British/international drama: BritBox (BBC Studios; U.S. only after ITV exit; verify), Acorn TV and Sundance Now and Topic (AMC Networks / Topic under First Look; verify), PBS Passport, MHz Choice, Walter Presents (verify U.S. availability).
- NOTE 3498
7. Niche and genre services
Horror/genre: Shudder (AMC Networks), Screambox, ALLBLK and Hallmark+ (Hallmark Movies Now replaced by Hallmark+ Sept 2024; verify), UP Faith & Family, Great American Pure Flix (verify), Angel Studios.
- NOTE 3499
7. Niche and genre services
Anime and Asian: Crunchyroll (Sony; free tier ended Dec 31, 2025; prices raised Feb 2026; verify new Fan/Mega Fan/Ultimate Fan prices), HIDIVE (AMC Networks), RetroCrush, Viki (Rakuten), Kocowa (joint venture of Korean broadcasters; verify), OnDemandKorea, iQIYI and WeTV U.S. apps, GagaOOLala (LGBTQ+ Asian).
- NOTE 3500
7. Niche and genre services
Comedy and creator: Dropout (CollegeHumor successor), Nebula, VRV (shut down 2023; merged into Crunchyroll), Seeso (shut down; verify).
- NOTE 3501
7. Niche and genre services
Black and Latino audiences: BET+, ALLBLK, Brown Sugar (verify status), ViX (TelevisaUnivision; ViX Premium merged tiers 2024; verify), Pantaya (shut down; verify).
- NOTE 3502
7. Niche and genre services
Faith, documentary, lifestyle: CuriosityStream, MagellanTV, Gaia, Discovery+, Motor Trend+ (folded into Discovery+/Max; verify), Tastemade+, Outside+.
- NOTE 3503
7. Niche and genre services
For each: owner, price, catalog of TV series count, app platforms, channel-store availability, and whether it has closed or merged since 2019.
- NOTE 3504
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
Build dated case files (announcement date, effective date, content migration, subscriber handling, refunds, database impact):
- NOTE 3505
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
Quibi (launched Apr 2020, shut Dec 2020; library sold to Roku Jan 2021) (verify).
- NOTE 3506
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
CNN+ (launched Mar 29, 2022, shut Apr 30, 2022) (verify).
- NOTE 3507
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
HBO Max content removals for tax/residual savings (2022–2023; Westworld, Minx, Raised by Wolves; Westworld moved to FAST channels) (verify).
- NOTE 3508
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
Disney+ and Hulu removals in May–June 2023 (Willow, Y: The Last Man, Dollface) (verify).
- NOTE 3509
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
Freevee shutdown (2025), Noggin shutdown (2024), VRV shutdown (2023), Funimation merging into Crunchyroll (Apr 2024) (verify), Philo and ESPN+ changes, Starz–Lionsgate separation, Discovery+ merge debates.
- NOTE 3510
8. Shutdowns, renames, and mergers case studies
Pending: Paramount Skydance–WBD; any HBO Max/Paramount+ integration plans. Record "announced, not effective" status carefully.
- NOTE 3511
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Use this as the target structure; research should confirm each field is obtainable and name the source.
- NOTE 3512
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Platform: platformid (internal UUID), canonicalname, formernames[] (name, from, to), typeprimary, typessecondary[], ownerentityid, ultimateparententityid, ownershiphistory[] (owner, from, to, source), launchdate, shutdowndate, status (active, announced, merged, shutdown, renamed), successorplatformid, websiteurl, helpcenterurl, presssiteurl, countriesavailable[] (ISO 3166-1), TMDBwatchproviderid, JustWatchproviderid, WikidataQID, logoassetid (with brand-guideline URL), affiliateprogram (none/direct/network name), publishestop10 (bool, URL), publishesengagementdata (bool, cadence), metadatafeedavailable (bool, partner-only), lastverifiedat, confidence.
- NOTE 3513
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Plan: planid, platformid, country, planname, billingperiod, listprice, currency, taxinclusive (bool), ads (none/limited/standard), maxstreams, downloaddevices, downloadsonadplan, maxresolution, hdrformats[], audioformats[], extramemberprice, extramemberlimit, contentexclusionsnote, requiresparentsubscription (e.g., Prime membership), studentordiscountvariants[], availablevia[] (direct, channel stores, carriers), startdate, enddate, sourceurl, archivedurl, lastverifiedat.
- NOTE 3514
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Pricehistory: planid, price, effectivenewsubs, effectiveexistingsubs, announcementdate, source.
- NOTE 3515
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Bundle: bundleid, name, provider, componentplanids[], price, eligibilitytext, startdate, enddate, source.
- NOTE 3516
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Deeplinkpattern: platformid, level (title/season/episode), surface (web/iOS/Android/tvOS/Roku/Fire TV), urltemplate, idtype, testedat, successrate.
- NOTE 3517
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Subscribermetric: platformid, periodend, metricname, value, region, reportedby, filingurl, methodologynote.
- NOTE 3518
9. Platform record schema (fields to validate)
Platformevent: platformid, eventtype (pricechange, rename, merger, shutdown, carriagedispute, policychange), announcedat, effectiveat, summary, source.
- NOTE 3519
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Log at minimum these event types, each with announcement and effective dates:
- NOTE 3520
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Launches: Apple TV+ (Nov 1, 2019), Disney+ (Nov 12, 2019), HBO Max (May 27, 2020), Peacock (July 15, 2020), Quibi (Apr 2020), Paramount+ (Mar 4, 2021), Discovery+ (Jan 2021), ESPN DTC and Fox One (Aug 2025) (verify all).
- NOTE 3521
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Ad tiers: Netflix Basic with Ads (Nov 3, 2022), Disney+ Basic with ads (Dec 8, 2022), Max with Ads, Prime Video ads default (Jan 29, 2024), Prime Video Ultra (2026).
- NOTE 3522
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Password-sharing enforcement dates per service.
- NOTE 3523
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Every U.S. price change for the top 15 services.
- NOTE 3524
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Renames, mergers, spin-offs, shutdowns (Sections 3.1 and 8).
- NOTE 3525
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Carriage disputes and blackouts affecting vMVPDs.
- NOTE 3526
10. Timeline 2019 – 2026
Reporting changes (Netflix and Disney ending subscriber disclosures; Netflix engagement report moving to annual, July 2026).
- NOTE 3527
11. Deliverables for Part 01
U.S. platform directory: at least 120 platform records with full schema fields and last-verified dates.
- NOTE 3528
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Plan database: at least 400 plan records; price history of at least 1,500 rows covering 2019–2026.
- NOTE 3529
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Bundle and carrier-perk table: at least 60 bundles/perks with eligibility and dates.
- NOTE 3530
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Channel-store matrix across four stores.
- NOTE 3531
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Device-support matrix for the top 25 services across at least 12 device families.
- NOTE 3532
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Deep-link pattern catalog for the top 25 services at title and episode level, with tested success notes.
- NOTE 3533
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Subscriber time series for every service that reports, 2019–2026, with metric definitions.
- NOTE 3534
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Case-study files for at least 15 shutdowns, renames, removals, and mergers.
- NOTE 3535
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Timeline of at least 250 dated events.
- NOTE 3536
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Glossary of at least 60 terms (e.g., paid sharing, extra member, limited ads, FAST, vMVPD, DMA, wholesale subscriber, channel store, retransmission consent).
- NOTE 3537
11. Deliverables for Part 01
Source list with URLs, publication dates, archive links, and access dates.
- NOTE 3538
Research standards
State the research date and the access date for every price and plan feature; prices older than 90 days must be re-checked before publishing.
- NOTE 3539
Research standards
Cite official plan pages, help centers, and SEC filings first; trades second; aggregator blogs only as leads.
- NOTE 3540
Research standards
Label each subscriber or catalog figure as company-reported, third-party estimated, or unconfirmed, and never mix metric definitions in one chart.
- NOTE 3541
Research standards
Distinguish announced changes from effective changes, and new-subscriber from existing-subscriber effective dates.
- NOTE 3542
Research standards
Record pending mergers as pending; do not merge platform records until a deal closes and products actually combine.
- NOTE 3543
Research standards
Note where terms (e.g., household rules, bundle eligibility) have legal or consumer-protection implications and flag them for lawyer review rather than interpreting them.
- NOTE 3544
Research standards
Do not use false accounts, VPNs, or scraping in violation of terms to collect prices or catalogs.