Amazon Prime launched in 2005 , offering two-day shipping on any of its products . Redbox made it possible for legions of supermarket shoppers to pick up a movie on the cheap . Netflix was able to make streaming movies and TV shows available at no extra cost through an online subscription service called Netflix Instant Video ( NWS - news - people ) that started out as a way for college
Amazon Prime launched in 2005 , offering two-day shipping on any of its products . Redbox made it possible for legions of supermarket shoppers to pick up a movie on the cheap . At $ 8 a month , Hulu Plus offers instant streaming access to a wealth of TV shows .