vox--2020-09-22--156 countries are teaming up for a Covid-19 vaccine. But not the US or China.

Share All sharing options for : 156 countries are teaming up for a Covid-19 vaccine .
But not the US or China .
When SARS-CoV-2 started spreading , the countries of the world had no pandemic vaccine plans in place .
But a lot can happen in six months .
Today , there are 40 vaccine candidates for the coronavirus being studied in humans — including nine in the final phase of testing .
There ’ s also the world ’ s first attempt at a global effort to ensure that , when we have a working vaccine or vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter their GDP .
The initiative is called Covax , and it aims to support the development and equitable distribution of 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines before the end of 2021 .
It ’ s the biggest multilateral effort since the Paris climate agreement , according to Seth Berkley , the CEO of Gavi , the Vaccine Alliance , one of the partners behind Covax , along with the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations ( CEPI ) .
It ’ s the “ busiest period of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As of Monday , 156 high- , low- , and middle-income countries — representing 64 percent of the global population — signed up to Covax , the WHO said in an announcement .
That ’ s a remarkable feat of collaboration , particularly at a time when globalism and multinationalism are under threat .
Covax has two major parts : The “ Facility ” is a purchasing pool for higher income countries , and the “ Advance Market Commitment , ” or AMC , is a fundraising effort for poorer countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vaccine doses from manufacturers , countries that join the Facility get access to any vaccines that are approved in Covax ’ s portfolio , while also creating a global market for the shots and driving prices down .
The AMC , meanwhile , directs development aid as well as private sector and philanthropy donations to low- and middle-income countries that may not otherwise be able to afford a coronavirus vaccine .
( So far , the AMC is partially funded with about $ 700 million of the $ 2 billion needed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavi . )
Together , all countries that are part of Covax are supposed to follow a plan for fairly distributing the vaccine in order to prevent self-interested hoarding at the national level .
By working together , the highest-risk people in every country can get immunized , instead of all residents of the wealthiest nations .
But despite the great promise , Covax has also faced numerous challenges and some criticism .
Many higher-income countries in the Facility have also inked bilateral deals with manufacturers , which Anna Marriott , an Oxfam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dipping.
” “ [ It ] means that they are not truly working fully and fairly ... to see equitable access to a vaccine , ” she said .
Meanwhile , two of the world ’ s largest economies — the US and China — have decided to sit Covax out , causing some observers to question whether the initiative will achieve its goal .
As Lawrence Gostin , a global health law professor at Georgetown University , put it : “ [ Covax ] will be an enormously helpful initiative , pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major countries like the US and China sitting on the sidelines , Covax won ’ t have the financing and political muscle to assure global equity.
” He added : “ I still foresee millions of poor people not having rapid and affordable access to a Covid-19 vaccine.
” I recently called Berkley to find out more about how Covax will work , and why , despite the challenges , he thinks Covax can get the world vaccinated for Covid-19 — if , that is , at least one of the vaccines in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follows is a transcript of that conversation , edited for length and clarity .
Can we start with the historical context in which Covax was created ?
What happened in the past with vaccine manufacturing in an outbreak and what will happen now ?
Well , in the past , you ’ ve had outbreaks where the wealthy buy all the [ vaccine ] doses and there ’ s none available for the developing world .
[ The Covax effort ] isn ’ t going to be perfect , obviously .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in developed and developing countries .
So the fact that the world is coming together to try to put together a shared vision and a shared facility itself is historical .
And I believe that this is the largest multilateral effort since the Paris climate agreement .
So at a time of not a lot of interest , or reduced interest in multilateralism , I think that ’ s a positive thing .
The bigger picture that I keep coming back to is that the world was overdue for a pandemic .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years .
So if we expected one , why is Covax happening now , six months in ?
It ’ s a very good question , and I think the answer is quite clear .
With smaller pandemics , you capture people ’ s attention — including the media .
I remember during the West African Ebola outbreak , it was called the “ ISIS of infectious disease.
” It was the news story of the decade .
Then , as soon as it ’ s over , people just go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s problem .
It hadn ’ t really captured people for [ the ] long term .
So my hope is that the silver lining [ of the Covid-19 pandemic ] will be that people will say , “ Okay , now we understand that infectious diseases really can make a difference.
” If you think about it , the International Monetary Fund is talking somewhere between $ 9 trillion and $ 12 trillion [ the amount countries need to invest to counteract the economic effects of the pandemic ] .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life back to normal at the end of next year .
Given that cost , the type of money you ’ re talking about to do a little bit of prevention is not even a rounding error .
And the challenge has always been , during the acute time people are interested , and then afterwards people lose interest and don ’ t want to invest .
So I think it may be different this time .
“ So my hope is that the silver lining will be that people will say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious diseases really can make a difference ’ ” If Covax is successful , could the architecture you ’ ve created be used in future pandemics ?
That ’ s correct .
This type of solidarity is critical because otherwise what you ’ re going to end up with is just constant reintroduction of infections and the inability to go back to normal .
Countries that join Covax will have access to the dozen vaccines the organization invested in , assuming clinical trials prove they are effective and safe .
How did you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The original idea was to try to get to 12 to 15 different vaccines .
And this is a partnership .
CEPI [ the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations ] is part of it , and they already have nine vaccines in their portfolio , but of course , we ’ ll see how those vaccines play out .
Originally , CEPI was looking for speed , scale , and access , and vaccines that could be produced at scale in 2021 because the idea is to try to get up to 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ re also having conversations with other manufacturers that haven ’ t been working with CEPI , and then also with the Gates Foundation , which has a portfolio .
The Gates Foundation ... is looking for vaccines that might be complementary to [ CEPI ’ s ] — to have different types , ease of delivery , low cost , and scalable manufacturing .
So , we ’ re looking at different types of vaccine to get the broadest portfolio possible .
So there is a chance all the vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody knows whether any of these are going to work or not .
Obviously , data ’ s beginning to come in to show [ the vaccine can generate ] immunologic reactions , and showing antibodies to the spike protein .
But of course we don ’ t have definitive proof that antibodies provide durable protection against the virus .
So these are questions that are going to have to come , which is why this whole collaboration is so unique .
Assuming we have vaccines that work , can we talk a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in countries .
I read that the idea is that 20 percent of the population — the most high-risk groups — in each country in Covax would be vaccinated in the first year ?
Originally , we started with a 20 percent suggestion , and that was calculated based basically on an average — the numbers of health workers who were front-line and at risk , particularly in developing countries , [ as well as ] elderly and other high-risk groups .
But you have countries like Japan , where the demographics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s many more elderly .
And then you have countries like Nigeria , where the average age is 19 .
So that balances out , and that ’ s why we [ now ] allow countries to have a range — 10 to 50 percent — to choose where they start .
[ There are likely to be ] supply limitations in the first 12 to 18 months .
And therefore we would try to get some vaccine to every country rather than a few countries fully vaccinated and everybody else having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-income countries and regions — Australia , Canada , the United States , the United Kingdom , Japan , the European Union — have signed bilateral agreements with manufacturers to guarantee doses of vaccines for their populations before they ’ re even licensed .
Don ’ t these deals undermine the Covax initiative ?
I mean , would the world be better off in a situation where everybody worked multilaterally ?
Absolutely .
Because you could then use the resources most appropriately .
You could scale up the promising [ vaccine ] candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or some countries , are going to do bilateral deals .
So my job is not to bemoan that , my job is to try to work with those countries and try to make sure that we end up with fair allocation .
And for those countries , for the ones , frankly , that can afford a full portfolio of [ vaccines ] themselves , if you want to spend $ 10 billion or $ 11 billion like the US does , you can build a big portfolio .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they pay for a lot of clinical testing , including phase 3 trials .
They do manufacturing scale-up and process engineering .
And so that has a value for all the other groups ; many other [ developing ] countries can ’ t afford to do that .
So the challenge for those countries is either they invest in seven , eight , nine , 10 bilateral deals , or they try to work with somebody who has a large portfolio with the understanding that if their product falls out then they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world be better off in a situation where everybody worked multilaterally ?
Absolutely .
But the reality is some countries are going to do bilateral deals.
” You had to push back the deadline by which countries could join from the end of August 31 to September 18 .
What challenges did you face in that period in trying to get high-income countries on side ?
During that period we added the optionality side of the agreements , [ where countries can make an optional commitment , paying a higher amount for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a purchase ] .
And that was because many countries wanted to have some ability to opt out of certain vaccines .
So that was the adjustment we made .
And the obvious challenge for all of us is trying to move as quickly as possible to go ahead and put deals in place because over time more and more bilateral deals are getting done and doses are getting promised to others .
But will the fact that countries can opt out make it difficult for manufacturers to scale up and make enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think that really changes anything .
All it says is , if I ’ m a country that has done a few bilateral deals , I want to join Covax because you might have some interesting vaccines , and because I want to be supportive of the global effort .
But it doesn ’ t make a lot of sense for me to come in and get the same doses I already bought .
So in that case , I ’ m willing to join , but let me opt out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it ’ s still good for the world because then their funding is being used to move other vaccines forward , and that ’ s the insurance they want anyway , and they ’ re supporting this global effort .
It seems the big three countries that haven ’ t joined are Russia , China , and the US .
Is there any movement on getting the US to join ?
We ’ re having conversations , obviously , with all the countries .
And when you say join , I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now in their current situation , feels like they would need to purchase doses from the Facility because they ’ ve spent $ 11 billion on building out their own portfolio .
That being said , I think they fully understand the importance of what we ’ re trying to do to deliver a vaccine to the rest of the world , particularly developing countries .
And they ’ re supportive of that .
So we ’ ll see if , at the end , we figure out a way to work together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As you know , China and Russia both have their vaccines .
Russia ’ s is already licensed .
And China has a range of vaccines in their portfolio .
But of course , again , it ’ s going to be an important issue for them to think about their vaccines for other countries , but also perhaps vaccines that have certain characteristics for them as well .
So we ’ ll see .
That ’ s interesting because the EU also has a big portfolio of vaccines they ’ ve invested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined the Facility .
So just to be clear , the US also hasn ’ t committed anything yet to the AMC ?
With the US and other countries making their own bilateral deals to purchase doses directly for their populations , will there be enough vaccine to go around for the rest of the world ?
I mean , that is going to depend obviously on the manufacturers because this is a pass-through facility .
So at the end , a country buys vaccines for its population .
And we facilitate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reservations in and make sure the doses are produced .
But it ’ s not like we just buy all the doses , put them in a warehouse somewhere .
So the issue is going to be working with manufacturers ... to make sure that there is manufacturing capacity scaled up .
And that ’ s the important part of it .
CEPI has done a number of studies to look at manufacturing capacity .
Obviously the more doses that get promised , the more of the capacity gets pushed .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing capacity , that ’ s the hypothesis .
How will you define success with Covax ?
If we can deliver a vaccine simultaneously , in developed and developing countries , if we can get protection everywhere , even if it isn ’ t full , even if it doesn ’ t cover everything — [ we ] change the dynamic [ of the pandemic ] locally , [ and ] also show the power of working together .
If this was an outbreak of diabetes , [ countries ] could make an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our people .
In a highly infectious pandemic , the idea that you ’ re just going to protect your people and ignore everybody else leaves vast reservoirs of virus circulating .
And you ’ re not going to be able to go back to normal trade , tourism , travel , any of those things in that circumstance .
So , basically , we need to have a global perspective and not a local perspective , even though normally people think about protection locally .
Getting countries to think globally about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it seems particularly so today .
That ’ s why it ’ s so amazing that we ’ re able to get this type of buy-in .
The other thing that ’ s important about this — you have to think about [ vaccine development ] as a global commons and a global solution to this problem .
Remember with the Ebola vaccine , we had every country trying their technology , and they all thought they were going to win .
And what [ vaccine ] actually won ?
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American biotech , transferred to an American multilateral manufactured in Germany .
That ’ s the way science works .
So imagine if everybody said , ‘ I just want my vaccine , my manufacturing , my assays , my adjuvants .
That ’ s it.
’ You would not have the best science .
You would not have the best possibility of success .
In terms of a timeline , do you have any predictions for when we might have an effective vaccine ?
Well , I mean , there are nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So in the fourth quarter we ’ re likely to begin to get some data .
And we have no idea if it ’ ll be positive or negative , or if trials will get stopped because of side effects .
But I think in the next three or four months we ’ ll begin to get some sense of whether we ’ re going to see protection or not , and how effective the vaccines are .
So you ’ re hopeful , but also clear-eyed , about the road ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we know , but obviously I ’ m optimistic .
We have lots of signals that suggest that things are moving forward .
But as an old vaccine friend of mine , a vaccinologist , said , ‘ mice lie , monkeys don ’ t always tell the truth — it ’ s only people that matter.
’ In a sense that ’ s true on vaccines .
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Share All sharing options for: 171 countries are teaming up for a Covid-19 vaccine. But not the US.
When SARS-CoV-2 started spreading, the countries of the world had no pandemic vaccine plans in place. But a lot can happen in six months.
Today, there are 40 vaccine candidates for the coronavirus being studied in humans — including nine in the final phase of testing.
There’s also the world’s first attempt at a global effort to ensure that, when we have a working vaccine or vaccines, all countries have access, no matter their GDP.
The initiative is called Covax, and it aims to support the development and equitable distribution of 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines before the end of 2021. It’s the biggest multilateral effort since the Paris climate agreement, according to Seth Berkley, the CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, one of the partners behind Covax, along with the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
It’s the “busiest period of my life,” he told Vox recently.
As of October 9, 171 high-, low-, and middle-income countries — representing nearly two-thirds of the world’s population — signed up to Covax. This includes China, which had missed a previous deadline for joining. That’s a remarkable feat of collaboration, particularly at a time when globalism and multinationalism are under threat.
Covax has two major parts: The “Facility” is a purchasing pool for higher income countries, and the “Advance Market Commitment,” or AMC, is a fundraising effort for poorer countries.
By promising to buy a certain number of vaccine doses from manufacturers, countries that join the Facility get access to any vaccines that are approved in Covax’s portfolio, while also creating a global market for the shots and driving prices down. The AMC, meanwhile, directs development aid as well as private sector and philanthropy donations to low- and middle-income countries that may not otherwise be able to afford a coronavirus vaccine. (So far, the AMC is partially funded with about $1.8 of the $2 billion needed by the end of 2020, according to Gavi.)
Together, all countries that are part of Covax are supposed to follow a plan for fairly distributing the vaccine in order to prevent self-interested hoarding at the national level. By working together, the highest-risk people in every country can get immunized, instead of all residents of the wealthiest nations.
But despite the great promise, Covax has also faced numerous challenges and some criticism. Many higher-income countries in the Facility have also inked bilateral deals with manufacturers, which Anna Marriott, an Oxfam health policy adviser, called “double dipping.” “[It] means that they are not truly working fully and fairly ... to see equitable access to a vaccine,” she said.
Meanwhile, the world’s largest economy — the US — has decided to sit Covax out, causing some observers to question whether the initiative will achieve its goal. As Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor at Georgetown University, put it: “[Covax] will be an enormously helpful initiative, pushing the world toward equity.” But without a major country like the US, Covax may not “have the financing and political muscle to assure global equity.” He added: “I still foresee millions of poor people not having rapid and affordable access to a Covid-19 vaccine.”
I recently called Berkley to find out more about how Covax will work, and why, despite the challenges, he thinks Covax can get the world vaccinated for Covid-19 — if, that is, at least one of the vaccines in Covax’s portfolio works. What follows is a transcript of that conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Counteracting vaccine nationalism
Julia Belluz
Can we start with the historical context in which Covax was created? What happened in the past with vaccine manufacturing in an outbreak and what will happen now?
Seth Berkley
Well, in the past, you’ve had outbreaks where the wealthy buy all the [vaccine] doses and there’s none available for the developing world.
[The Covax effort] isn’t going to be perfect, obviously. But the idea is to have vaccines available simultaneously in developed and developing countries.
So the fact that the world is coming together to try to put together a shared vision and a shared facility itself is historical. And I believe that this is the largest multilateral effort since the Paris climate agreement. So at a time of not a lot of interest, or reduced interest in multilateralism, I think that’s a positive thing.
Julia Belluz
The bigger picture that I keep coming back to is that the world was overdue for a pandemic. You and many others have talked about this for years. So if we expected one, why is Covax happening now, six months in?
Seth Berkley
It’s a very good question, and I think the answer is quite clear. With smaller pandemics, you capture people’s attention — including the media. I remember during the West African Ebola outbreak, it was called the “ISIS of infectious disease.” It was the news story of the decade. Then, as soon as it’s over, people just go back to life and that’s yesterday’s problem. It hadn’t really captured people for [the] long term.
So my hope is that the silver lining [of the Covid-19 pandemic] will be that people will say, “Okay, now we understand that infectious diseases really can make a difference.” If you think about it, the International Monetary Fund is talking somewhere between $9 trillion and $12 trillion [the amount countries need to invest to counteract the economic effects of the pandemic]. And that’s assuming that we get life back to normal at the end of next year.
Given that cost, the type of money you’re talking about to do a little bit of prevention is not even a rounding error. And the challenge has always been, during the acute time people are interested, and then afterwards people lose interest and don’t want to invest.
So I think it may be different this time.
“So my hope is that the silver lining will be that people will say, ‘Okay, now we understand that infectious diseases really can make a difference’”
Julia Belluz
If Covax is successful, could the architecture you’ve created be used in future pandemics?
Seth Berkley
That’s correct. This type of solidarity is critical because otherwise what you’re going to end up with is just constant reintroduction of infections and the inability to go back to normal.
Julia Belluz
Countries that join Covax will have access to the dozen vaccines the organization invested in, assuming clinical trials prove they are effective and safe. How did you choose which vaccines to bet on?
Seth Berkley
The original idea was to try to get to 12 to 15 different vaccines. And this is a partnership. CEPI [the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations] is part of it, and they already have nine vaccines in their portfolio, but of course, we’ll see how those vaccines play out. Originally, CEPI was looking for speed, scale, and access, and vaccines that could be produced at scale in 2021 because the idea is to try to get up to 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.
We’re also having conversations with other manufacturers that haven’t been working with CEPI, and then also with the Gates Foundation, which has a portfolio. The Gates Foundation ... is looking for vaccines that might be complementary to [CEPI’s] — to have different types, ease of delivery, low cost, and scalable manufacturing. So, we’re looking at different types of vaccine to get the broadest portfolio possible.
Julia Belluz
So there is a chance all the vaccines in Covax’s portfolio fail?
Seth Berkley
Nobody knows whether any of these are going to work or not. Obviously, data’s beginning to come in to show [the vaccine can generate] immunologic reactions, and showing antibodies to the spike protein. But of course we don’t have definitive proof that antibodies provide durable protection against the virus. So these are questions that are going to have to come, which is why this whole collaboration is so unique.
Julia Belluz
Assuming we have vaccines that work, can we talk a bit about how they would be rolled out in countries. I read that the idea is that 20 percent of the population — the most high-risk groups — in each country in Covax would be vaccinated in the first year?
Seth Berkley
Originally, we started with a 20 percent suggestion, and that was calculated based basically on an average — the numbers of health workers who were front-line and at risk, particularly in developing countries, [as well as] elderly and other high-risk groups. But you have countries like Japan, where the demographics of the population are such that there’s many more elderly. And then you have countries like Nigeria, where the average age is 19. So that balances out, and that’s why we [now] allow countries to have a range — 10 to 50 percent — to choose where they start.
[There are likely to be] supply limitations in the first 12 to 18 months. And therefore we would try to get some vaccine to every country rather than a few countries fully vaccinated and everybody else having none.
Multilateralism in a polarized time
Julia Belluz
Already, a bunch of high-income countries and regions — Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, the European Union — have signed bilateral agreements with manufacturers to guarantee doses of vaccines for their populations before they’re even licensed. Don’t these deals undermine the Covax initiative?
Seth Berkley
I mean, would the world be better off in a situation where everybody worked multilaterally? Absolutely. Because you could then use the resources most appropriately. You could scale up the promising [vaccine] candidates.
But the reality is that countries, or some countries, are going to do bilateral deals. So my job is not to bemoan that, my job is to try to work with those countries and try to make sure that we end up with fair allocation. And for those countries, for the ones, frankly, that can afford a full portfolio of [vaccines] themselves, if you want to spend $10 billion or $11 billion like the US does, you can build a big portfolio. And that has huge advantages for the community because they pay for a lot of clinical testing, including phase 3 trials. They do manufacturing scale-up and process engineering.
And so that has a value for all the other groups; many other [developing] countries can’t afford to do that. So the challenge for those countries is either they invest in seven, eight, nine, 10 bilateral deals, or they try to work with somebody who has a large portfolio with the understanding that if their product falls out then they have access to other products.
“Would the world be better off in a situation where everybody worked multilaterally? Absolutely. But the reality is some countries are going to do bilateral deals.”
Julia Belluz
You had to push back the deadline by which countries could join from the end of August 31 to September 18. What challenges did you face in that period in trying to get high-income countries on side?
Seth Berkley
During that period we added the optionality side of the agreements, [where countries can make an optional commitment, paying a higher amount for vaccines later but avoiding any guarantees of a purchase]. And that was because many countries wanted to have some ability to opt out of certain vaccines. So that was the adjustment we made. And the obvious challenge for all of us is trying to move as quickly as possible to go ahead and put deals in place because over time more and more bilateral deals are getting done and doses are getting promised to others.
Julia Belluz
But will the fact that countries can opt out make it difficult for manufacturers to scale up and make enough vaccines for everybody?
Seth Berkley
I don’t think that really changes anything. All it says is, if I’m a country that has done a few bilateral deals, I want to join Covax because you might have some interesting vaccines, and because I want to be supportive of the global effort. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense for me to come in and get the same doses I already bought.
So in that case, I’m willing to join, but let me opt out of the ones that I already have. And it’s still good for the world because then their funding is being used to move other vaccines forward, and that’s the insurance they want anyway, and they’re supporting this global effort.
Julia Belluz
It seems the big three countries that haven’t joined are Russia, China, and the US. Is there any movement on getting the US to join? [Update: After this conversation, China joined Covax on October 8 — though details of what China will contribute to the group haven’t been made public.]
Seth Berkley
We’re having conversations, obviously, with all the countries. And when you say join, I don’t think the US, right now in their current situation, feels like they would need to purchase doses from the Facility because they’ve spent $11 billion on building out their own portfolio.
That being said, I think they fully understand the importance of what we’re trying to do to deliver a vaccine to the rest of the world, particularly developing countries. And they’re supportive of that. So we’ll see if, at the end, we figure out a way to work together on some of those other issues.
As you know, China and Russia both have their vaccines. Russia’s is already licensed. And China has a range of vaccines in their portfolio. But of course, again, it’s going to be an important issue for them to think about their vaccines for other countries, but also perhaps vaccines that have certain characteristics for them as well. So we’ll see.
Julia Belluz
That’s interesting because the EU also has a big portfolio of vaccines they’ve invested in, and yet they’ve joined the Facility. So just to be clear, the US also hasn’t committed anything yet to the AMC?
Seth Berkley
That is correct.
Julia Belluz
With the US and other countries making their own bilateral deals to purchase doses directly for their populations, will there be enough vaccine to go around for the rest of the world?
Seth Berkley
I mean, that is going to depend obviously on the manufacturers because this is a pass-through facility. So at the end, a country buys vaccines for its population. And we facilitate the engagement and we go ahead and put the reservations in and make sure the doses are produced.
But it’s not like we just buy all the doses, put them in a warehouse somewhere. So the issue is going to be working with manufacturers ... to make sure that there is manufacturing capacity scaled up. And that’s the important part of it. CEPI has done a number of studies to look at manufacturing capacity. Obviously the more doses that get promised, the more of the capacity gets pushed. But with investments, one can increase the manufacturing capacity, that’s the hypothesis.
Julia Belluz
How will you define success with Covax?
Seth Berkley
If we can deliver a vaccine simultaneously, in developed and developing countries, if we can get protection everywhere, even if it isn’t full, even if it doesn’t cover everything — [we] change the dynamic [of the pandemic] locally, [and] also show the power of working together.
If this was an outbreak of diabetes, [countries] could make an argument that we got to take care of our people. In a highly infectious pandemic, the idea that you’re just going to protect your people and ignore everybody else leaves vast reservoirs of virus circulating. And you’re not going to be able to go back to normal trade, tourism, travel, any of those things in that circumstance. So, basically, we need to have a global perspective and not a local perspective, even though normally people think about protection locally.
Julia Belluz
Getting countries to think globally about disease risk has always been challenging — but it seems particularly so today.
Seth Berkley
That’s why it’s so amazing that we’re able to get this type of buy-in. The other thing that’s important about this — you have to think about [vaccine development] as a global commons and a global solution to this problem.
Remember with the Ebola vaccine, we had every country trying their technology, and they all thought they were going to win. And what [vaccine] actually won? It was a Canadian vaccine, transferred to an American biotech, transferred to an American multilateral manufactured in Germany. That’s the way science works. So imagine if everybody said, ‘I just want my vaccine, my manufacturing, my assays, my adjuvants. That’s it.’ You would not have the best science. You would not have the best possibility of success.
Julia Belluz
In terms of a timeline, do you have any predictions for when we might have an effective vaccine?
Seth Berkley
Well, I mean, there are nine vaccines in phase three trials right now. So in the fourth quarter we’re likely to begin to get some data. And we have no idea if it’ll be positive or negative, or if trials will get stopped because of side effects. But I think in the next three or four months we’ll begin to get some sense of whether we’re going to see protection or not, and how effective the vaccines are.
Julia Belluz
So you’re hopeful, but also clear-eyed, about the road ahead.
Seth Berkley
I have to be honest about what we know, but obviously I’m optimistic. We have lots of signals that suggest that things are moving forward. But as an old vaccine friend of mine, a vaccinologist, said, ‘mice lie, monkeys don’t always tell the truth — it’s only people that matter.’ In a sense that’s true on vaccines.


vox--2020-09-22--The best alternative streaming services, from anime to arthouse

As the streaming wars between major platforms such as Netflix , Disney+ , and HBO Max have expanded , so too has the world of smaller , more specialized streaming services that focus on serving a specific niche to fans who want more than what the bigger mainstream players have to offer .
Since they aren ’ t trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible , these boutique streaming services can offer carefully curated selections that cater to the special interests of their viewers .
But because these services also tend to fly under the radar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s out there .
So we 've put together a rundown of some of our favorites .
The list below covers a range of specialized streaming platforms targeting everyone from anime-loving geeks or theater nerds to international audiences .
Among all of them , there ’ s almost certainly something for everyone .
Because the list can be daunting , we ’ ve categorized them by content type .
The basic setup : About 2,000 movies from the Criterion Collection are available at a time , and they rotate monthly so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch .
The catalog contains Hollywood classics , independent films , and world cinema , as well as behind-the-scenes features and interviews , all curated by theme , era , genre , and more .
The pros : The Criterion Channel offers startlingly affordable access to a film catalog that ’ s much richer than what you ’ ll find on your average streaming service , especially since the pickings are slim on Netflix , Hulu , and Amazon Prime if you ’ re looking for something made before 1980 .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from universally acclaimed works of art to influential B-movies that changed the genre game .
The Channel ’ s curation — in the form of double features , family-friendly “ matinees , ” and collections of films themed around eras , artists , or techniques — is helpful if you feel overwhelmed by the number of choices .
And for cinephiles , the interviews , commentary , scene breakdowns , and explorations of film history are invaluable .
The cons : You won ’ t find much in the way of TV on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of series pop up from time to time ) .
There aren ’ t any new releases .
And if you ’ re looking primarily for a huge base of films and TV shows that kids can watch , Criterion isn ’ t for you ; most of the content is strictly for adults , and a fair amount of offerings aren ’ t in English .
Best for : People who love classic , independent , and foreign films ; those who want to dive deeply into the details of cinematic masterpieces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cinematic horizons beyond Hollywood standards .
The basic setup : Fandor curates arthouse , independent , and international films for the highbrow film fan .
The pros : Fandor claims to have more than 4,000 films in its catalog , which is truly impressive , given that it ’ s half the cost of its nearest competitors .
It comes off like a slightly hipper Criterion , emphasizing users ’ personal tastes by drilling down its catalog into specific genres , subgenres , years , and other considerations .
The website includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curates selections from film festivals around the globe , which is really cool .
The cons : Many of Fandor ’ s films are available on other sites .
Its community is much smaller than those of Criterion or Mubi , so things such as user reviews are less reliable .
And as with other arthouse-film platforms , you won ’ t find much in the way of genre entertainment .
Best for : People who love independent and foreign films but who might want to try a different approach than the Criterion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : A carefully curated , rotating streaming catalog of arthouse and independent films .
It comes with a time limit : Most films are available on Mubi for only 30 days .
The pros : Mubi ’ s biggest assets are a commitment to thoughtful curation and an emphasis on world cinema .
Because Mubi licenses films for a limited time , it ’ s able to offer a wider variety compared with many similar services , albeit on a limited rotation .
The Mubi community is also full of film enthusiasts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The cons : If you miss a film during its 30-day rotation , you might not get to see it again — or you may have to wait a long time for it to reappear in the Mubi roster .
Best for : Film geeks , especially lovers of foreign and hard-to-find films , but the limited-time offerings won ’ t be for everyone .
British TV ( and more from the Commonwealth ) The basic setup : Although it ’ s mostly focused on British television , Acorn TV offers a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beloved Canadian drama Slings & Arrows to the beloved Australian mystery series Miss Fisher ’ s Murder Mysteries ( which fan-funded an original movie sequel that ’ s currently available only on Acorn ) , as well as the 2019 Nordic noir Wisting .
Acorn ’ s original programming is also solid , with mysteries and dramas from stars such as David Tennant .
The pros : It offers original programming , plus a deep catalog of mysteries , dramas , and older and more obscure BBC and ITV content that didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better-known streaming service BritBox .
The cons : Some of the more mainstream titles are also available on other sites .
Best for : Fans who like to binge epic miniseries and murder-mystery series like Midsomer Murders and Miss Fisher ’ s Murder Mysteries .
The basic setup : A streaming catalog exclusively containing BBC and ITV-produced shows and films — including the full catalog of the classic Doctor Who , current BBC news programming , and iconic British comedy series such as Are You Being Served ?
, Absolutely Fabulous , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dauntingly large catalog of BBC and ITV content .
The sheer variety of content here , from British Dramas You ’ ve Actually Heard Of to Shakespearean adaptations and soothing lifestyle shows , is enviable .
The cons : If you ’ re a fan of older BBC and ITV programming , some of the omissions here may be puzzling .
For instance , you can watch seven seasons of Prime Suspect , but there ’ s no Wire in the Blood — that one ’ s on Acorn TV , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best for : British TV enthusiasts of all forms and varieties .
The basic setup : Broadway HD offers a large streaming catalog of live and adapted theater , musicals , opera , and concert performances .
As the older Broadway streaming site , Broadway HD has worked hard to bring streamable theater to the masses .
Its selection isn ’ t huge , but it is generally very good .
The pros : If you want to watch a wide variety of theater and don ’ t mind older or pretaped performances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this platform .
Its selection of plays and dramas is particularly enticing : You ’ ll find everything from BBC adaptations of Shakespeare to Paula Vogel ’ s superb Indecent to the 2017 production of the Pulitzer-nominated Thom Pain ( starring Rainn Wilson ) .
The cons : Though its selection has grown dramatically , the lack of more recent theatrical hits may be a turnoff .
Best for : Fans of Shakespeare , niche cult faves like Jerry Springer : The Opera , and a wide variety of staged dramas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a recently launched streaming catalog of Broadway shows , concerts , web series , and adapted theater .
The platform focuses on scheduled , livestreamed pay-per-view events , some of which the site then hosts for a limited time .
A small selection is available to watch for free or with a 48-hour rental .
The pros : If you miss live theater , Broadway On Demand has constructed an elaborate platform designed to bring live theatre into your home .
This includes innovative programs like “ Show Share , ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from unexpected places around the country — like Tallahassee Community College or a high school in Greenfield , Indiana .
That ’ s pretty neat .
The platform also provides ( for an additional cost ) a bundle with Broadway Access , another boutique site that emphasizes theatre teaching and instruction .
The cons : The site is frankly confusing , glitchy ( on a laptop , it ’ s often difficult to get clips to play ) , and difficult to parse and navigate .
The app is currently only available for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay-per-view structure will be off-putting to many people used to a monthly streaming charge .
Best for : People who like watching live theatrical events .
Cost : A selection of livestreamed events and other content is currently free .
BOD primarily uses a pay-per-view “ ticket ” model , where “ tickets ” to view a livestreamed performances range from anywhere from $ 3 or $ 4 to over $ 30 .
Additionally , there ’ s a service charge that ranges from $ 2.85 to $ 4.95 with every livestream ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presumably lets you bypass the pay-per-view ticket structure is reportedly launching later this fall .
Additionally , the Broadway Access bundle is currently a yearly fee of $ 119.88 .
The basic setup : Crunchyroll offers an extensive streaming catalog of anime , manga , TV dramas , and other related media , primarily from Japan and China .
The pros : A longstanding and trusted source for anime , Crunchyroll has gotten great at offering options like localized subtitling and dubbing , simulcasting content , and curating a wide-ranging , interesting selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget that it also offers manga for users to read , as well as shows and movies .
Best of all : much of the content in Crunchyroll ’ s vast library is free to stream .
The cons : Although much of Crunchyroll is free , if you want access to subtitled anime episodes that are simulcast on Crunchyroll with their first-run airing in Japan , you ’ ll need to purchase a premium subscription .
And if you ’ re a fan of dubs over subs , Funimation will likely be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Best for : All of us anime-lovin ’ fools .
Though HBO Max now offers a very small anime selection cross-curated from Crunchyroll , it won ’ t be enough to satisfy many fans .
And Crunchyroll also has an edge for subtitle fans in the subbing versus dubbing war — many US fans prefer it as a source for professionally subtitled anime .
Cost : A basic subscription costs $ 7.99/month and includes access to Crunchyroll simulcasts as well as the Crunchyroll manga catalog and HD streaming .
Higher tiers cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher tier includes bundled access to Nickelodeon and VRV as well as special Crunchyroll perks at varying levels .
( The pricier the tier , the more plentiful the perks . )
The basic setup : Similar to Crunchyroll , Funimation boasts another large streaming catalog of anime , J-drama , and other content , all of which is produced or distributed by anime stalwart Funimation .
The pros : Again like Crunchyroll , most of Funimation ’ s catalog is free ( ad-supported ) .
— but Anime fans who prefer dubbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn to Funimation , which has long been known for quality dubbing .
And because Funimation is primarily a distributor , it ’ s also great for fans of simulcast episodes and quick releases — so anyone who prefers not having to wait months for dubbed episodes and films to be released will want to give it a look .
The cons : Funimation ’ s anime catalog is frankly huge , but it ’ s still limited compared to Crunchyroll ’ s .
Also , access to ad-free episodes and simulcast subtitled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a subscription .
Best for : Fans of dubbed anime , and people who prefer well-curated series with lots of info about what they ’ re watching .
Cost : Tiered pricing is $ 5.99/month or $ 59.99/year for ad-free episodes and the ability to stream on up to two devices simultaneously ; $ 7.99/month or $ 79.99/year for up to five simultaneous streams and downloadable media ; and $ 99.99/year for everything in the lower tiers plus additional Funimation merch discounts and perks , including swag .
The basic setup : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , HiDive launched in 2017 and has since made a name for itself as an independent streaming platform .
The pros : HiDive offers exclusive distribution for a number of animation companies , including its owner Sentai ( known for Akame Ga Kill and other recent hits ) , Section23 , Switchblade Films , and a few others .
HiDive offers subtitling with dubbing on select titles .
It also gives paid users a lot — including the ability to customize subtitles !
— for a pretty low monthly fee .
The platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a Vrv subscription , you can watch many of its shows there .
The cons : Unlike the larger anime platforms , you can ’ t watch HiDive shows online for free .
Because it ’ s an indie platform often limited to direct distribution , HiDive has a significantly smaller catalog than Crunchyroll or Funimation .
But it ’ s still an impressive catalog with a lot of recent hits a well as old classics , and anime fans will want to consider taking it for a trial run .
Best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to Sentai shows and other titles exclusive to HiDive .
Cost : $ 4.99/month or $ 47.99/year for access to episodes and the ability to stream on up to two devices simultaneously , plus simulcasts , multiple user profiles , and lots of customization .
The basic setup : The AMC-owned Shudder boasts a carefully curated rotating streaming catalog of horror films new and old .
The pros : Shudder is great for horror film lovers , because it runs the gamut from wacky B-movie horror to esoteric arthouse picks .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and occasionally features live events like the popular movie marathon series The Last Drive-In .
Coolest of all , it has a live movie stream where paid users can watch random selections from its catalog play 24/7 .
The cons : Shudder ’ s catalog rotates pretty regularly , so it ’ s easy to miss something if you don ’ t check in often .
And the site is pretty glitchy — for instance , you might have to click titles a few times for them to play , or to add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for : Horror buffs of all kinds , whether you ’ re into the gore or the arthouse variety .
The basic setup : Screambox serves horror films for the voracious horror fan .
The pros : Horror fans love horror any way they can get it — and for a subset of those fans , the more extreme or lowbrow , the better .
Screambox aims directly at that target audience , with a category just for “ extreme ” films with titles like Virgin Cheerleaders In Chains , and genres broken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serial killing with a side of home invasion , backwood butchery , or murderous clowning ?
The cons : Screambox lacks the prestige of the AMC-backed Shudder , with many of its offerings lower-profile and thus wildly varied in quality .
Many horror fans consider B- or even C- and D-movies as their bread and butter , but many others won ’ t .
Best for : The kind of horror fan who can tell you every instrument of torture used in the Saw franchise , probably .
The basic setup : Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Japanese movies and dramas in a wide variety of genres .
The pros : Asian Crush is a versatile site depending on what you ’ re into — fans of J- and K-horror will be delighted by the site ’ s horror and thriller offerings , while K-drama fans should have plenty to keep them occupied .
The site ’ s curated collections are solid ; most of the films are available to stream for free and they ’ re subbed , which is a great way to get hooked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ site is free , many films are completely behind a paywall , and there ’ s little to tell you which are free and which aren ’ t .
The site is also an odd duck .
For one thing , it doubles as a media site , serving regional celebrity and pop culture news — except most of the news is months and even years old .
Best for : Asian film and drama fans looking to branch out beyond the most well-known titles that find their way to Netflix and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roukuten Viki , aka Viki , offers a streaming catalog of TV dramas , variety shows , and films from China , Japan , Korea , and Thailand .
The pros : If you want Chinese and Korean TV , this is your best bet — the site has over 500 K-dramas and hundreds of shows and films from China and other Asian regions .
Most of the titles in Viki ’ s catalog are free to stream , but newer releases and the most popular titles typically require a subscription .
Viki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access , in that it works with teams of fansubbers across the globe who contribute foreign subtitles to licensed titles on its website .
That means that the quality of subtitling and translation can vary , but it also means fans in numerous countries can get broad access to a tremendous selection of shows and films .
The cons : Viki has a smaller selection of dramas and films from regions outside of Korea and mainland China , and some shows in its catalog have yet to actually be released .
Best for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched everything on Netflix and want more .
Fans of The Untamed will also find the full series and its two side movies here , along with many more TV dramas from mainland China .
And K-pop and J-pop lovers will find plenty of music-related content in the many variety and reality shows , including current smash-hit K-pop show I-Land .
Cost : Tiered pricing is $ 4.17/month ( $ 49.99/year ) for access to movies , ad-free HD episodes , and early access to some episodes ; or $ 8.33/month ( $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all episodes .
Includes a free 30-day trial .
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As the streaming wars between major platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max have expanded, so too has the world of smaller, more specialized streaming services that focus on serving a specific niche to fans who want more than what the bigger mainstream players have to offer.
Since they aren’t trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, these boutique streaming services can offer carefully curated selections that cater to the special interests of their viewers. But because these services also tend to fly under the radar, it's not always easy to know what’s out there. So we've put together a rundown of some of our favorites.
The list below covers a range of specialized streaming platforms targeting everyone from anime-loving geeks or theater nerds to international audiences. Among all of them, there’s almost certainly something for everyone. Because the list can be daunting, we’ve categorized them by content type.
Related The best and worst of the biggest streaming services
Arthouse films
The basic setup: About 2,000 movies from the Criterion Collection are available at a time, and they rotate monthly so there’s always something new to watch. The catalog contains Hollywood classics, independent films, and world cinema, as well as behind-the-scenes features and interviews, all curated by theme, era, genre, and more.
The pros: The Criterion Channel offers startlingly affordable access to a film catalog that’s much richer than what you’ll find on your average streaming service, especially since the pickings are slim on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime if you’re looking for something made before 1980. You can find most anything on the service, from universally acclaimed works of art to influential B-movies that changed the genre game. The Channel’s curation — in the form of double features, family-friendly “matinees,” and collections of films themed around eras, artists, or techniques — is helpful if you feel overwhelmed by the number of choices. And for cinephiles, the interviews, commentary, scene breakdowns, and explorations of film history are invaluable.
The cons: You won’t find much in the way of TV on the Criterion Channel (though a handful of series pop up from time to time). There aren’t any new releases. And if you’re looking primarily for a huge base of films and TV shows that kids can watch, Criterion isn’t for you; most of the content is strictly for adults, and a fair amount of offerings aren’t in English.
Best for: People who love classic, independent, and foreign films; those who want to dive deeply into the details of cinematic masterpieces; and people who want to expand their cinematic horizons beyond Hollywood standards.
Cost: $10.99/month or $99.99/year; includes a free 14-day trial.
The basic setup: Fandor curates arthouse, independent, and international films for the highbrow film fan.
The pros: Fandor claims to have more than 4,000 films in its catalog, which is truly impressive, given that it’s half the cost of its nearest competitors. It comes off like a slightly hipper Criterion, emphasizing users’ personal tastes by drilling down its catalog into specific genres, subgenres, years, and other considerations. The website includes reviews and editor’s notes and curates selections from film festivals around the globe, which is really cool.
The cons: Many of Fandor’s films are available on other sites. Its community is much smaller than those of Criterion or Mubi, so things such as user reviews are less reliable. And as with other arthouse-film platforms, you won’t find much in the way of genre entertainment.
Best for: People who love independent and foreign films but who might want to try a different approach than the Criterion method of curation.
Cost: $5.99/month or $49.99/year; includes a free seven-day trial.
The basic setup: A carefully curated, rotating streaming catalog of arthouse and independent films. It comes with a time limit: Most films are available on Mubi for only 30 days.
The pros: Mubi’s biggest assets are a commitment to thoughtful curation and an emphasis on world cinema. Because Mubi licenses films for a limited time, it’s able to offer a wider variety compared with many similar services. And while most films are only streamable for a limited time, the platform recently added a library for its users, featuring many films that have previously only been on the site in rotation. The Mubi community is also full of film enthusiasts and offers a thriving garden of user reviews.
The cons: If you miss a film during its 30-day rotation, you might not get to see it again — or you may have to wait a long time for it to reappear in the Mubi roster.
Best for: Film geeks, especially lovers of foreign and hard-to-find films, but the limited-time offerings won’t be for everyone.
Cost: $10.99/month or $95.88/year; includes a free seven-day trial.
Criterion or Mubi? One of the most common questions for lovers of arthouse film is whether any current service fills the role left by the late beloved platform FilmStruck. In fact, Mubi predates FilmStruck and has been quietly pursuing its loyalty-driven, carefully curated version of online streaming since 2007. (Apparently the founders of Mubi created the platform because they got fed up when they couldn’t stream In the Mood for Love, which is surely one of the world’s most relatable moods.) Criterion, however, seems to have inherited most of FilmStruck’s audience if not its actual collection, along with bearing the vanguard name of Criterion itself. Much gets made of Mubi’s 30-day rotation cycle, but Criterion’s titles also rotate, cycling through the Criterion vault pretty regularly. So if you’re not logging on very often to see what’s available, you’re losing value no matter which site you choose. There’s little aesthetic difference between the two platforms, and sometimes their titles will overlap. Their communities also are similar, though Mubi’s feels more tight-knit. Ultimately, this probably comes down to personal preference: If you’re really into classic films, Criterion has a distinct advantage by virtue of having all of the older Criterion movies in its vault. But if you’re more energized by newer international films, Mubi is probably where you want to be.
British TV (and more from the Commonwealth)
The basic setup: Although it’s mostly focused on British television, Acorn TV offers a hodgepodge of international offerings, from the beloved Canadian drama Slings & Arrows to the beloved Australian mystery series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (which fan-funded an original movie sequel that’s currently available only on Acorn), as well as the 2019 Nordic noir Wisting. Acorn’s original programming is also solid, with mysteries and dramas from stars such as David Tennant.
The pros: It offers original programming, plus a deep catalog of mysteries, dramas, and older and more obscure BBC and ITV content that didn’t find its way to the much better-known streaming service BritBox.
The cons: Some of the more mainstream titles are also available on other sites.
Best for: Fans who like to binge epic miniseries and murder-mystery series like Midsomer Murders and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Cost: $5.99/month or $59.99/year; includes a free seven-day trial.
The basic setup: A streaming catalog exclusively containing BBC and ITV-produced shows and films — including the full catalog of the classic Doctor Who, current BBC news programming, and iconic British comedy series such as Are You Being Served?, Absolutely Fabulous, and Fawlty Towers.
The pros: A dauntingly large catalog of BBC and ITV content. The sheer variety of content here, from British Dramas You’ve Actually Heard Of to Shakespearean adaptations and soothing lifestyle shows, is enviable.
The cons: If you’re a fan of older BBC and ITV programming, some of the omissions here may be puzzling. For instance, you can watch seven seasons of Prime Suspect, but there’s no Wire in the Blood — that one’s on Acorn TV, even though it’s an ITV show.
Best for: British TV enthusiasts of all forms and varieties.
Cost: $6.99/month or $69.99/year; includes a free seven-day trial.
Acorn TV or BritBox? Because they’re both focused on British content, comparisons between Acorn TV and BritBox are inevitable. Though their catalogs sometimes overlap, they seem to mostly complement each other rather than compete. For example, you can find all episodes of the 1975 Masterpiece Theater miniseries version of Poldark on Acorn, and then you can watch the 1996 BBC film version on BritBox. And you can watch seven seasons of Midsomer Murders on BritBox, then go watch the other *checks clipboard* 14 seasons on Acorn. For purists who geek out over epic dramas and niche mysteries — or who just like discovering or rediscovering obscure TV shows — Acorn has the edge. For fans of the BBC’s greatest hits, including its treasure trove of comedies and its swooniest period dramas, BritBox is a must.
Theater on demand
The basic setup: BroadwayHD offers a large streaming catalog of live and adapted theater, musicals, opera, and concert performances. As the older Broadway streaming site, BroadwayHD has worked hard to bring streamable theater to the masses. Its selection isn’t huge, but it is generally very good.
The pros: If you want to watch a wide variety of theater and don’t mind older or pretaped performances, you really can’t miss with this platform. Its selection of plays and dramas is particularly enticing: You’ll find everything from BBC adaptations of Shakespeare to Paula Vogel’s superb Indecent to the 2017 production of the Pulitzer-nominated Thom Pain (starring Rainn Wilson).
The cons: Though its selection has grown dramatically, the lack of more recent theatrical hits may be a turnoff.
Best for: Fans of Shakespeare, niche cult faves like Jerry Springer: The Opera, and a wide variety of staged dramas.
Cost: $8.99/month or $99.99/year; includes a free seven-day trial.
The basic setup: Broadway on Demand is a recently launched streaming catalog of Broadway shows, concerts, web series, and adapted theater. The platform focuses on scheduled, livestreamed pay-per-view events, some of which the site then hosts for a limited time. A small selection is available to watch for free or with a 48-hour rental.
The pros: If you miss live theater, Broadway On Demand has constructed an elaborate platform designed to bring live theatre into your home. This includes innovative programs like “Show Share,” which brings you livestreamed shows at specific times from unexpected places around the country — like Tallahassee Community College or a high school in Greenfield, Indiana. That’s pretty neat. The platform also provides (for an additional cost) a bundle with Broadway Access, another boutique site that emphasizes theatre teaching and instruction.
The cons: The site is frankly confusing, glitchy (on a laptop, it’s often difficult to get clips to play), and difficult to parse and navigate. The app is currently only available for Apple devices and Roku. And the pay-per-view structure will be off-putting to many people used to a monthly streaming charge.
Best for: People who like watching live theatrical events.
Cost: A selection of livestreamed events and other content is currently free. BOD primarily uses a pay-per-view “ticket” model, where “tickets” to view a livestreamed performances range anywhere from $3 or $4 to over $30. Additionally, there’s a service charge that ranges from $2.85 to $4.95 with every livestream ticket purchase. A premium subscription tier that presumably lets you bypass the pay-per-view ticket structure is reportedly launching later this fall. Additionally, the Broadway Access bundle is currently a yearly fee of $119.88.
Broadway which? Though their names and aims are similar enough to cause confusion, Broadway On Demand and BroadwayHD aren’t necessarily competitors. It’s probably easiest to think of BroadwayHD as a subscription-based streaming platform with primarily static content and Broadway On Demand as a pay-per-view platform with rotating livestreamed content.
Anime
The basic setup: Crunchyroll offers an extensive streaming catalog of anime, manga, TV dramas, and other related media, primarily from Japan and China.
The pros: A longstanding and trusted source for anime, Crunchyroll has gotten great at offering options like localized subtitling and dubbing, simulcasting content, and curating a wide-ranging, interesting selection for picky fans. Don’t forget that it also offers manga for users to read, as well as shows and movies. Best of all: Much of the content in Crunchyroll’s vast library is free to stream.
The cons: Although much of Crunchyroll is free, if you want access to subtitled anime episodes that are simulcast on Crunchyroll with their first-run airing in Japan, you’ll need to purchase a premium subscription. And if you’re a fan of dubs over subs, Funimation will likely be your first anime stop rather than Crunchyroll.
Best for: All of us anime-lovin’ fools. Though HBO Max now offers a very small anime selection cross-curated from Crunchyroll, it won’t be enough to satisfy many fans. And Crunchyroll also has an edge for subtitle fans in the subbing versus dubbing war — many US fans prefer it as a source for professionally subtitled anime.
Cost: A basic subscription costs $7.99/month and includes access to Crunchyroll simulcasts as well as the Crunchyroll manga catalog and HD streaming. Higher tiers cost $9.99/month and $14.99/month; each higher tier includes bundled access to Nickelodeon and VRV as well as special Crunchyroll perks at varying levels. (The pricier the tier, the more plentiful the perks.)
The basic setup: Similar to Crunchyroll, Funimation boasts another large streaming catalog of anime, J-drama, and other content, all of which is produced or distributed by anime stalwart Funimation.
The pros: Again like Crunchyroll, most of Funimation’s catalog is free (ad-supported) — but Anime fans who prefer dubbed content to subtitled content will also be drawn to Funimation, which has long been known for quality dubbing. And because Funimation is primarily a distributor, it’s also great for fans of simulcast episodes and quick releases — so anyone who prefers not having to wait months for dubbed episodes and films to be released will want to give it a look.
The cons: Funimation’s anime catalog is frankly huge, but it’s still limited compared to Crunchyroll’s. Also, access to ad-free episodes and simulcast subtitled episodes with the original Japanese airing requires a subscription.
Best for: Fans of dubbed anime, and people who prefer well-curated series with lots of info about what they’re watching.
Cost: Tiered pricing is $5.99/month or $59.99/year for ad-free episodes and the ability to stream on up to two devices simultaneously; $7.99/month or $79.99/year for up to five simultaneous streams and downloadable media; and $99.99/year for everything in the lower tiers plus additional Funimation merch discounts and perks, including swag.
Crunchyroll or Funimation? This is one case in which two platforms are evenly matched in the streaming wars. Although Crunchyroll got into the streaming game earlier, and as such is the more well-known option, Funimation has been distributing licensed anime since the ’90s. While Crunchyroll’s catalog dwarfs Funimation’s, Funimation’s catalog is still huge, plus it offers higher streaming quality and better curation. Although both platforms have thriving communities of anime fans who avidly comment on shows and episodes, part of Crunchyroll’s draw includes its many fan-curated lists, reviews, and recommendations — but you don’t need to pay for access to those. What the choice really comes down to is the age-old question: Subs or dubs? On Crunchyroll, anime is subtitled by default. On Funimation, anime is dubbed into English by default, with closed captions. You can’t even watch most shows on Funimation in Japanese with subtitles unless you have a premium account, and vice versa with Crunchyroll for dubbing. Both sites offer high-quality translations, so in the end, this probably comes down to taste.
The basic setup: A late entry into the anime streaming field, HiDive launched in 2017 and has since made a name for itself as an independent streaming platform.
The pros: HiDive offers exclusive distribution for a number of animation companies, including its owner Sentai (known for Akame Ga Kill and other recent hits), Section23, Switchblade Films, and a few others. HiDive offers subtitling with dubbing on select titles. It also gives paid users a lot — including the ability to customize subtitles — for a pretty low monthly fee. The platform also has a Vrv bundle, so with a Vrv subscription, you can watch many of its shows there.
The cons: Unlike the larger anime platforms, you can’t watch HiDive shows online for free. Because it’s an indie platform often limited to direct distribution, HiDive has a significantly smaller catalog than Crunchyroll or Funimation. But it’s still an impressive catalog with a lot of recent hits a well as old classics, and anime fans will want to consider taking it for a trial run.
Best for: Hardcore anime fans who want access to Sentai shows and other titles exclusive to HiDive.
Cost: $4.99/month or $47.99/year for access to episodes and the ability to stream on up to two devices simultaneously, plus simulcasts, multiple user profiles, and lots of customization.
Horror films
The basic setup: The AMC-owned Shudder boasts a carefully curated rotating streaming catalog of horror films new and old.
The pros: Shudder is great for horror film lovers, because it runs the gamut from wacky B-movie horror to esoteric arthouse picks. It has an opinionated community of fans, and occasionally features live events like the popular movie marathon series The Last Drive-In. Coolest of all, it has a live movie stream where paid users can watch random selections from its catalog play 24/7.
The cons: Shudder’s catalog rotates pretty regularly, so it’s easy to miss something if you don’t check in often. And the site is pretty glitchy — for instance, you might have to click titles a few times for them to play, or to add them to your customized list.
Best for: Horror buffs of all kinds, whether you’re into the gore or the arthouse variety.
Cost: $5.99/month or $56.99/year; includes a seven-day free trial.
The basic setup: Screambox serves horror films for the voracious horror fan.
The pros: Horror fans love horror any way they can get it — and for a subset of those fans, the more extreme or lowbrow, the better. Screambox aims directly at that target audience, with a category just for “extreme” films with titles like Virgin Cheerleaders In Chains, and genres broken into subgenres: Do you want your serial killing with a side of home invasion, backwood butchery, or murderous clowning?
The cons: Screambox lacks the prestige of the AMC-backed Shudder, with many of its offerings lower-profile and thus wildly varied in quality. Many horror fans consider B- or even C- and D-movies as their bread and butter, but many others won’t.
Best for: The kind of horror fan who can tell you every instrument of torture used in the Saw franchise, probably.
Cost: $4.99/month or $35.88/year, includes a free seven-day trial.
Asian TV and films
The basic setup: Asian Crush focuses mainly on Korean, Chinese, and Japanese movies and dramas in a wide variety of genres.
The pros: Asian Crush is a versatile site depending on what you’re into — fans of J- and K-horror will be delighted by the site’s horror and thriller offerings, while K-drama fans should have plenty to keep them occupied. The site’s curated collections are solid; most of the films are available to stream for free and they’re subbed, which is a great way to get hooked.
The cons: While most of the site is free, many films are completely behind a paywall, and there’s little to tell you which are free and which aren’t. The site is also an odd duck. For one thing, it doubles as a media site, serving regional celebrity and pop culture news — except most of the news is months and even years old.
Best for: Asian film and drama fans looking to branch out beyond the most well-known titles that find their way to Netflix and other mainstream platforms.
Cost: $4.99/month; includes a free 30-day trial.
The basic setup: Rakuten Viki, a.k.a. Viki, offers a streaming catalog of TV dramas, variety shows, and films from China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.
The pros: If you want Chinese and Korean TV, this is your best bet — the site has over 500 K-dramas and hundreds of shows and films from China and other Asian regions. Most of the titles in Viki’s catalog are free to stream, but newer releases and the most popular titles typically require a subscription.
Viki has a unique approach to distribution and access, in that it works with teams of fansubbers across the globe who contribute foreign subtitles to licensed titles on its website. That means that the quality of subtitling and translation can vary, but it also means fans in numerous countries can get broad access to a tremendous selection of shows and films.
The cons: Viki has a smaller selection of dramas and films from regions outside of Korea and mainland China, and some shows in its catalog have yet to actually be released.
Best for: K-drama lovers who’ve already watched everything on Netflix and want more. Fans of The Untamed will also find the full series and its two side movies here, along with many more TV dramas from mainland China. And K-pop and J-pop lovers will find plenty of music-related content in the many variety and reality shows, including current smash-hit K-pop show I-Land.
Cost: Tiered pricing is $4.17/month ($49.99/year) for access to movies, ad-free HD episodes, and early access to some episodes; or $8.33/month ($99.99/year) for even earlier access to all episodes. Includes a free 30-day trial.
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