The Challenge Returns!
There have been a lot of changes to how we consume video since the last Popcorn Bucket Championship, so let’s put these streaming apps to the test. Which streaming app do you prefer? Will we see a Cinderella story? Will we see Unusual Suspects taking the court? Or will we see the Comeback of the Basketball King?
The East and West divisions are F.A.S.T (Free Ad-Supported Television) platform streaming apps, while the North and South divisions are SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand). There will be three (3) elimination rounds, and then the championship match up.
To “sweeten” the tourney, participate in all four rounds and you will be entered into a drawing for one of FIVE (5) $50 streaming subscription gift cards.
If you participate in all four rounds AND select the top streaming service, you will be entered into a drawing for $100 in streaming subscription gift cards.
If you complete all four rounds and have the BEST overall Bracket (plus pick the top streaming service) you will be entered into a drawing for a a 70″ Insignia Fire TV and $100 in streaming subscription gift cards!
The winners will be announced Friday, April 10.
One entry per email per round. Duplicate entries will be disregarded. See Official Rules for full details.
A list of the more popular streaming services, both subscription-based and free are below. There are many MANY more from which to choose. You can explore your options by visiting our Streaming Recommendations page.
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Free Ad-Support Television |
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Platform from FOX with 70 million monthly viewers. Offers over 300 live channels and more than 50 news streams plus an extensive on demand catalog of movies and tv shows. |
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Platform with 16 million monthly active viewers. This platform offers over 50,000 titles and 600+ live channels. |
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Platform from Roku that showcases over 500 live channels and more than 80,000 free movies and tv shows with over 90 million active monthly accounts. |
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Platform from CBS/Paramount with over 80 million monthly viewers. Enjoy over 1,000 movies/shows and over 100 Live channels. |
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Platform from Dish Network with over 600 live TV channels. No account or credit card required. Create an account for extra features, like cloud DVR and user profiles. |
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Platform from Comcast/Charter that showcases over 300 live channels and thousands of on demand movies, news and shows. No subscription or login required. |
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News aggregator platform from over 300 news organizations that allows the viewer to curate a personalized news feed. |
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Platform providing over 400 channels, including a dedicated local news channel, plus thousands of movies, shows and live sports. |
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Subscription Video Services |
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NBC Universal with 44 million subscribers that features content from the NBCU suite of networks, as well as original programming like ‘All Her Fault’, ‘The Traitors’ and extensive content from NBC Sports. |
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It is the home of the entire library of all things HBO including original movies, and series like ‘The Pitt’, ‘Hacks’ and the upcoming film ‘In Five Years’. 128 million global subscribers (Q3 2025). |
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Platform from Apple that features hit series such as ‘Palm Royale’, and ‘Pluribus’ as well as award winning movies like CODA. 45 million subscribers as of early 2026. |
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Platform from Sony that features content specifically for fans of anime. Series include Jujutsu Kaisen, Solo Leveling and Fate/Strange Fake. Over 17 million subscribers (as of 3/25). |
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The OG of SVOD. Hit series such as ‘Stranger Things’, Bridgerton’, ‘Squid Games’ and original movies. 325 million subscribers globally (as of early 2026). |
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Features content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic and original Hulu programming like ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building.’ |
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Featuring hit series like ‘Reacher’ and ‘We Were Liars’ along with movies such as ‘Saltburn’, ‘Merv’ and the John Candy Documentary ‘I Like Me’. Over 168 million subscribers globally (2025). |
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Platform from CBS/Paramount that features content from the networks of CBS, Viacom, Paramount & Showtime. Over 79 million global subscribers as of early 2026. |
