Everybody has heard of Netflix and Amazon Prime, but if you are looking to watch something a little bit different or want to watch content from other countries, you may find that subscribing to some of the more niche international online streaming services may give you more of the content you are most interested in.
Often, for people who want to watch a particular type of international content such as Korean dramas, Bollywood movies, British comedy, or anime, the choices available on US services like Hulu and US Netflix can be very limited. While it is possible to watch shows from other countries using VPN services, it can also be a real boon to find a specialist streaming service that has lots of the content you most like to watch, ready to go, subtitled in the language you want.
Here are five great international streaming services for all kinds of global content that you might love!
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is a streaming service dedicated to anime, and it has a vast library of anime series and movies, as well as manga that you can read online.
While Crunchyroll is great if you want to be able to watch popular seasonal and classic anime, with both subtitled and dubbed versions on offer where dubs are available, one of the best things about Crunchyroll is that it often simulcasts subtitled episodes of popular anime at the same time they are first aired in Japan. This means that if you’re following a major series like Re:Zero, which Crunchyroll offers simulcasts for, you won’t have to worry about seeing spoilers before you can get a chance to watch it!
Crunchyroll has also been branching out into making its own original content, using popular Korean Webtoons as its source material, with Crunchyroll Webtoon adaptations of Tower of God, The God of Highschool, and Noblesse all aired in 2020.
While Crunchyroll isn’t perfect, with its interface feeling in need of an update, it is a must-have for anyone who enjoys anime and wants a lot more choice than can be found on Netflix and Prime.
Britbox
Britbox is a streaming service that was created as a collaboration between the BBC and ITV in the UK, and which offers an abundance of UK made comedy, drama, news programming, documentaries, and other entertaining content. With plenty of long-running series like Midsomer Murders and the original Doctor Who?, as well as classic British sitcoms, great BBC documentaries and more, this is a great service for ex-pats as well as those who love British TV in general.
Viki
Viki is a service you can get through most TV apps, including Chromecast and Roku, which streams Asian TV shows and movies, with community-created subtitles for every single show. If you love Korean dramas or want to watch other great content from China, Japan and Taiwan, Viki has plenty to offer and a great search facility that allows you to find suggestions by country or origin and genre. With South Korean and Japanese movies and TV becoming increasingly popular with Western audiences, Viki is a must-have service if you’re a fan, and there is even a free ad-supported version if you want to try it out before subscribing.
Mubi
Mubi is a special streaming service aimed at world cinema aficionados. It follows a different model to all of the other streaming services mentioned here so far. Rather than keeping its whole library of content available for as long as it has the licenses to show it; instead, it has a constantly changing library of 30 movies.
A new movie is added every single day, and each one is available for the following 30 days, meaning there is always something new to discover. This may feel like a disadvantage if you are looking for a streaming service that gives you a library of things you can binge whenever you want, but as a way of discovering new and interesting movies from all over the world and surprising yourself by trying out new things, this format can be a lot of fun.
With Mubi, you can either get a monthly subscription and watch the available movies as much as you want, through any of the popular streaming methods (including consoles), or you can rent movies individually.
Hotstar
Hotstar is the streaming service for you if you want the best in Indian content, including movies, TV, and sports. While it’s popular among people who love Indian cinema, it is also a great streaming service for fans of cricket, as there is plenty of live coverage. It can be used with Roku or through its own Android and iOS apps.
These are five great international streaming services to consider if you want something new to watch!
