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For more on streaming, check out five reasons to ditch your video subscription and keep cable. Learn how to pick streaming services that fit your budget, and enjoy all sorts of reality show trash. Finally, check out our recommended streaming video guides if you don’t know what to watch.
Best for Original Programming
Netflix
Netflix doesn't just spend some money on Black talent; it invests billions, producing original Spike Lee movies and shows, partnering with mega-producers like Ava DuVernay, Kenya Barris, Shonda Rhimes, and Justin Simien, and airing specials from every Black comedian not named Bill Cosby. How deep does it go? There's literally an official Twitter account and podcast series highlighting Netflix's Black movies and shows called Strong Black Lead.
Best for International Enthusiasts
If you, like me, once went to a Nigerian "Nollywood" film fest and left wanting more, KweliTV is the sleeper hit service for you. With it, you can watch hundreds of shows and movies from across the African diaspora, a curated collection of culture available on many media streaming devices. It has flexible pricing options, too.
Best for Contemporary Black Entertainment
Allblk
Formerly known as the Urban Movie Channel, Allblk features a varied library of Black films and TV shows designed to compete with mainstream Black entertainment channels like BET. After all, it was created by BET co-founder Robert L. Johnson. Featuring Viola Davis movies, Jackson family documentaries, and original thrillers, you'll find something Black to love.
Best for Funky Nostalgia
Brown Sugar
Nothing beats the gritty action, killer soundtracks, and overwhelming 1970s atmosphere of a good Blaxploitation flick. No other era could give us movies about mournful African vampires or antihero pimps looking to clean up the streets. Brown Sugar's library lovingly preserves this ridiculous era of African-American film history.
Best for Mainstream Black Culture
Whether or not BET features positive representation of Black people is a debate worth having, but Black Entertainment Television is certainly a big enough player to have its own standalone streaming service. Speaking of mixed legacies, BET+ is now the home for Tyler Perry's new originals after the prolific African-American auteur ended his deal with Oprah.
Best for On-Demand and Live TV Streaming
A top choice for streaming shows and movies, as well as live TV, Hulu's library includes top Black talent. There's some nice variety, too, including the pleasant sitcom Black-ish, the harrowing historical drama Roots, Donald Glover's experimental Atlanta, and the High Fidelity remix starring Zoë Kravitz. Hulu also has documentaries on topics like Black Twitter and the infamous Freaknik festival.
Best for Black Talk Shows
Peacock
The idea of watching a late-night talk show on a streaming service sounds a bit anachronistic. Still, I'll watch charming, witty, and oh-so-Black hosts like Amber Ruffin and Larry Wilmore break down the news of the day any time on NBC's Peacock. The service also has the gritty Fresh Prince reboot, Bel-Air (starring a deliciously evil Carlton), and the entire Best Man saga. Unfortunately, the free plan is no longer available, but the affordably priced premium tiers offer lots of entertainment value.
Best for Free Streaming
Tubi
Tubi is an awesome, Editors' Choice-winning streaming service that won't cost you a cent. You just need to create an account and watch a few commercials. Tubi has built an eclectic rotating streaming library that includes excellent and overlooked Black entertainment. Black storytelling on Tubi ranges from dramas (Poetic Justice, Precious) to comedies (Barbershop, Everybody Hates Chris) to wild Tyler Perry Joints. It has tons of fun, schlocky, original movies, too. With Tubi, it literally costs you nothing to sample what might be your next favorite Black classic. It's all reward, no risk.
Best for Original Programming and Purchase Options
Although its original shows may not reach the heights of its rivals, Prime Video has an unmatched library of shows and movies to buy or rent on demand. That includes pretty much any Black movie or TV show you can think of. Some are even available for free with a Prime membership, such as I Am Not Your Negro and the masterful The Underground Railroad adaptation. One of Prime Video's channel add-ons is focused on Black content, although it has a cringeworthy name: Urban Movie Channel.
Best for Families
We should be careful to never let a company like Disney make us associate loving our identity with loving their brand. That said, having A Wrinkle in Time, Marvel’s Black Panther, Doc McStuffins, both versions of The Lion King, The Princess and the Frog, The Proud Family, and That’s So Raven on one service is a pretty easy sell for Black families. If you want to see America’s founding fathers reimagined as rhythmic people of color, now you can watch Hamilton without shelling out thousands of dollars for Broadway tickets. Older cartoons have disclaimers for potentially insensitive depictions of race, but nobody mention Song of the South.
Best for Curated Rentals
Angelika Anywhere
Angelika Anywhere isn't a streaming subscription service. You buy or rent each film individually to watch online, so prices can add up. However, with this service, the theater chain has curated an art collection that cinephiles will find irresistible. The impressive catalog is divided into unique categories, including sections for certain filmmakers and film moments. Black film lovers will find a spotlight on Spike Lee, a celebration of Black cinema at large, and exclusive interviews with emerging Black talent.
Best for Curated Classic Cinema
The Criterion Channel
The Criterion Channel's mission is to preserve and celebrate classic art films from around the globe. Since Black filmmakers have been around since the beginning of the medium (though their work is often undervalued, as in the case of Oscar Micheaux), there's plenty for Criterion to celebrate. Recently, Criterion made many of its Black movies available to watch for free, including Julie Dash's Daughters of Dust, Maya Angelou’s Down in the Delta, and Kathleen Collins' Losing Ground.
Best for HBO Originals
HBO Max
You can no longer watch Will Smith's life get flipped upside down in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air on HBO Max, but the service's wealth of premium Black shows and movies includes I May Destroy You, Insecure, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Random Acts of Flyness, and Watchmen. In addition, the hilarious comedy South Side has also been reborn as an HBO Max original.
Best for Film Appreciation and Discovery
Mubi
Like Criterion, Mubi's mission is to champion film’s artistic history. Mubi's robust community features let cinephiles create and collaborate on lists to help users discover new films to love. We found plenty of Mubi lists highlighting excellent Black movies, from comedy classics to indie dramas, even if not all are available to stream on Mubi itself.
Best for Exploring Local Cultures
PBS Video
PBS has always used TV to serve the public good; it’s right in the name. PBS Video brings those benefits to a free streaming service. For Black History Month, PBS curates a wide array of excellent programming highlighting Black pioneers and important social issues. Watch everything from Chuck Berry and Marian Anderson to army vets fighting for more inclusive hair standards.
Best for MGM Movies
MGM+
MGM+ has a fantastic film library that leverages the strength of its iconic brand. This includes classic and modern Black cinema such as Fences, In the Heat of the Night, and Waiting to Exhale. MGM+ also has original shows, and its flagship series is the acclaimed crime drama Godfather of Harlem starring Forest Whitaker.
Best for Network Shows and Sports
Formerly known as CBS All Access, Paramount+ earns a spot on this list with the one-two punch of Star Trek: Discovery (featuring Sonequa Martin-Green in the lead role of Michael Burnham) and a Twilight Zone reboot (hosted by Jordan Peele, writer/director of Get Out and Us). Now bundled with Showtime, you also get The Chi, Dreaming Whilst Black, and The First Lady.
Best for Horror Fans
Shudder
The actual reality of what has happened to Black people throughout history is so horrifying that it only takes a few tweaks to make those stories straight-up horror movies. Not only is Shudder an excellent streaming service for frightening flicks, but its original documentary Horror Noire also takes a fascinating look at how Black narratives have always been at the forefront of the horror genre.
Best for Movie Fans
Starz
Initially, the crime drama Power sounded like a strange vanity project for Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Not only does the rapper/Vitamin Water mogul executive produce the series, but he plays a main role. What is this, Get Rich or Die Tryin'? However, Power has grown into a sprawling premium television universe with sequels, prequels, and spin-offs. You can catch them all on Starz.