The 9 Circles Of Streaming Hell

The 9 Circles of Streaming Hell

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most Dantean nuisances of streaming services, and how they’ve only gotten worse over time.

First Circle: Technical Difficulties

Streaming app and server glitches are inevitable. We’re certainly aware of the perils of having our entertainment dictated by the quality of our internet connection. But the more these interfaces expand, the more room for error does the same. Netflix can be particularly cumbersome, with many Roku users complaining of lagging, freezing and outright device crashes. The congested interfaces of apps like HBO Max and Paramount+ can seriously affect buffering and playback quality. Then, of course, there’s the occasional issue of an app’s server being down. These are just a few headaches that we rarely encountered with cable. If you thought channel surfing was exhausting, try scrolling to app settings to force-stop, clear up or reset apps. Maybe streaming services aren’t blameless in your internet issues after all.

Second Circle: Business by Algorithm

Television has historically relied on household ratings and word-of-mouth to determine the direction of programming. Although the streaming industry has become more transparent over time, it often feels like services don't know what loyal subscribers want. That's because they want new subscribers, and gauge demographic interest through algorithms. AI data analysis is a crude representation of buzz that streamers put too much faith in. This means they regularly cancel projects that haven't had time to build hype, especially when they're released in the Netflix-led “binge-watch” format that lets individuals set their own viewing schedule. And adults may have noticed an influx of productions that cater to youths and capitalize on storytelling trends. The thing is, algorithms are an effective route to expanding and retaining subscriptions. There's something for everyone on streaming, but their business model is making it harder to trust content quality and exploration.

Third Circle: Season & Episode Lengths

Streaming services are seemingly receptive to feedback about runtimes, to a fault. Early streaming shows followed the American TV tradition of 10 to 13 episodes per season, each running around an hour. It became more cost-effective and easier on audiences to reduce the average episode order to six or eight. This limited opportunities for filler that skilled storytellers dedicate to worldbuilding and character development. With serialized plots still outnumbering episodic, that kind of momentum can be tiring in its own way. Never mind that runtimes have gotten inconsistent. One episode could run well over an hour, while the next could be half that length. It’s just one extreme or the other! At least not having to schedule your own binge-watch incentivizes the rise of weekly episode releases, especially as it may be a while before you see your favorite show again.

Fourth Circle: Huge Hiatuses

American TV episode sets are called “seasons” because you could traditionally count on them being seasonal events. Now shows are taking longer breaks between sets, and streaming is partly to blame. They’ve raised the standards for production values, and promoted the model of assessing algorithms and maximizing production slates. Thus, popular shows can take two- or even three-year-long hiatuses. What’s worse is that it’s not always about making the most of the material. More shows are prioritizing spectacle over substance, while others get stuck in a creative rut based on trendy tropes and improvised plot directions. Some even have to strain to accommodate bloated or reduced season orders. As stressful as it can be to wait for your favorite shows, quality is becoming as inconsistent as the wait time.

Fifth Circle: Content Purges

You’re probably holding your breath when you see an article about content scheduled for removal from a streaming platform. Now you may be doing that whenever you open the platform. Due to expanding catalogues, streaming services have taken to removing older originals without notification. HBO Max, Hulu and Paramount+ have been known to scrub shows from their servers the instant they’re canceled. One particularly insidious motivation is to get out of paying residuals to the creators. Usually, these shows become purchasable on VOD or are pulled from streaming entirely. Some end up on other streamers, which may mean paying another subscription to revisit or finally catch up on the classics. Whether to the artists or the consumers, it feels like an insult.

Sixth Circle: Ads

Many consider commercials to be the bane of TV and, especially, streaming. Free services like Tubi, Pluto TV and devices’ in-house streamers may boast about having fewer ads, but they annoyingly repeat the same ones each break. Oftentimes, those breaks drop mid-dialogue. Subscription fees usually free us from that burden, unless you’re content with ad-supported tiers to save money on the hottest services. But in 2024, Amazon Prime Video controversially introduced ads for their standard-tier subscription without lowering the price. The luxury of commercial-free entertainment now comes at a cost that long-time subscribers didn’t sign up for. Maybe that would be easier to accept if streaming ad breaks weren’t so uniquely obnoxious.

Seventh Circle: Impact on Other Industries

The convenience and quality of streaming productions is a mixed blessing. The film and theater industries have been devastated by subscribers’ increasing preference for watching movies in the comfort of their homes, at no extra cost. And even extra cost has become more acceptable since COVID-19 lockdowns popularized “Premium VOD.” Major theatrical runs are quickly going to digital rentals at a price higher than tickets, giving audiences agency in repeat viewings and watch parties. Cinemas have had to adapt with luxury, but continue to struggle. Meanwhile, studios are investing less in physical media like Blu-Rays. These industry shifts also come with downsides for consumers. Traditional film and TV are trying to compete with bloated budgets, cluttered release slates and general commercial prioritization. Crude attempts to emulate streaming with expanded, multi-format franchises have turned fun superhero movies into homework. It’s getting to where there’s no truly comfortable place where you can watch something.

Eighth Circle: Content Fatigue

There has always been more on streaming platforms than anyone could watch. The true boom came when they started producing high-quality original series and films that generated hype. Inevitably, there was too much of that to keep up with. And as streamers’ lucrative artistic experiments became more business-driven, average quality declined. Netflix is particularly notorious for excessive production greenlighting that results in originals competing amongst themselves for viewership. Sustainable or not, this model overwhelms subscribers with too many choices, too much of which underwhelms. That's not even considering the constantly expanding library of licensed content. Studies have found that extended streaming correlates to increased stress and depression. Where variety used to be the defining strength of streaming services, now it's their great folly.

Ninth Circle: Streamflation

“Cutting the cord” arose from streaming offering much more entertainment than traditional television, and at a far better price than cable. But is that still the case? From 2020 to 2025, subscription costs for major streamers doubled. And with inflation, technology development and content scale, prices are sure to go up. Moreover, there are getting to be more and more streamers, while companies are making structural decisions based on that. With streaming services in the U.S. alone numbering in the hundreds, avid TV consumers can expect to pay more than they ever did for cable. True to their word, most services are giving them more bang for their buck. But between technical issues, overburdened production slates, and convoluted content catalogues, a practice synonymous with relaxation has become another chore. A 2025 survey by Coupon Cabin suggests that 22 percent of cord-cutters have returned to cable since 2013. This means that most streaming subscribers are still willing to take on the burden of the one entertainment model. If companies want to keep it that way, they must make their services worth the investment again.

What do you find most infernal about streaming? And what keeps you subscribed… for now? Log into the comments below.