For all the gripes you might have about the state of streaming, this year still had some bright spots.
Looking back on 2025, we saw the debut of several new streaming services that deliver more choice and flexibility to cord cutters, along with some compelling new bundles for folks who canโt resist subscribing to lots of services simultaneously. This year also brought us some great new affordable streaming players and one excellent innovation in over-the-air TV.
As is custom around here, letโs rewind to 2025โs best developments in cord cutting, plus a handful that weโd rather forget.
Best new streaming player: Walmart Onn 4K Plus
Jared Newman / Foundry
Somehow, the company delivering the best cheap streaming devices is still Walmart. Following up on last yearโs excellent Onn 4K Pro, the $30 Onn 4K Plus is a surprisingly speedy streaming box with Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, a feature-packed remote, and a generous 16 GB of storage for apps.
In side-by-side testing, it outperformed not just Rokuโs Streaming Sticks, but the $50 Onn 4K Pro as well, and the Google TV software still excels at helping you keep up with your shows.
- Runner-up: Rokuโs Streaming Stick, if only because it finally brings TV volume and power controls to Rokuโs cheapest streamer.
Best new streaming service: ESPN Unlimited
Sure, itโs kind of a ripoff on its own at $30 per month, but ESPNโs new streaming service finally offers everything from its cable channels without a bloated pay TV package. More importantly, itโs ushering in a new wave of bundles built around direct-to-consumer streaming services instead of legacy cable channels.
Subscribers can add Disney+ and Hulu for $6 per month more (currently free for the first year), or tack on Fox One or NFL+ for $10 per month more.
Best new live TV package: DirecTVโs Genre Packs
DirecTV
DirecTVโs strong stance against…