The Streaming Rent Trap and Platform Bullshit That Needs to End

We were promised that streaming would kill cable’s iron grip and liberate culture. Instead, corporate greed simply rebranded itself as “convenience,” locking us into a vicious cycle of endless digital rent. At the heart of this rent-seeking nightmare sits Disney—the empire that owns everything and rents us back our own memories.

Disney+ is not just a streaming platform; it’s a fortress of fragmentation and paywalls. Beloved shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer disappear from one service only to reappear behind another subscription, forcing fans to juggle Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and more—each charging separate fees. This strategy isn’t innovation—it’s textbook rent-seeking capitalism, where consumers pay repeatedly for access instead of ownership (Nguyen, 2023).

The streaming model utterly disrespects consumers by erasing true ownership. Buying a show or movie outright is practically extinct. Instead, viewers rent content indefinitely, often paying far more over time than they would for physical media. The constant “more money, more money, more money” grind exploits nostalgia and loyalty to squeeze every last cent (Potts, 2025).

It’s not just streaming services that trap us. Platforms like WordPress.com charge for “personal” accounts, yet lock down essential features and restrict control, hitting paying users with arbitrary limits. This bait-and-switch predatory behavior disguised as “premium service” is yet another cog in the corporate money machine. They want your cash, your attention, your voice—but give you less freedom.

We need to fight back. Demand transparency, support platforms that respect ownership, and use your voice to call out the gatekeepers. Stream strategically: binge hard, then cancel. Buy physical copies or seek alternatives. Resist the subscription treadmill designed to bleed you dry.

This digital rent racket must end—or be ended. Culture isn’t a commodity to be endlessly rented. It belongs to us. It’s time to reclaim it.

References

Nguyen, T. (2023). The subscription trap: How streaming platforms profit from consumer captivity. Journal of Media Economics, 36(2), 123–136.

Potts, C. (2025). Personal commentary on streaming rent-seeking practices. Unpublished manuscript.

Disneyplusops, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons