Streaming – but normal

The era of linear television has long been doomed to extinction. Many see the future in streaming giants such as Amazon or Disney. Small, originally journalistic players are virtually not on the radar. At least not in this country. However, America proves that things can be done differently “The Daily Thread”. The openly conservative outlet founded its own video-on-demand platform ‘The Daily Wire+’ in 2022 and followed up ‘Bentkey’ with children’s content the following year. The popularity is great, but: is the offer a real alternative to the left-wing nonsense of other platforms?

If you watch many of Netflix and Co.’s own productions. When you look at it, the thought occurs to you: you certainly don’t want to pay for that! Historical figures are given a new skin color, sexual identity and supposed diversity are coming to the fore, whites are being taken for the club of racism: the list of negative developments within many streaming providers has now become long. ‘Daily Wire’ consciously wants to create a counterbalance here. The website states: “We are one of America’s fastest-growing media companies and a countercultural outlet for news, opinion and entertainment.”

Entertainment à la “South Park”

And that’s why you dare to do something. The first season of the new animated series “Mr. Birchum” available on the platform. It’s about a woodworking teacher from the boomer generation who can hardly cope with the pitfalls of today’s world. Humorous, socially critical and without mincing words, it can match the outrage level of classics such as ‘South Park’. The difference is that the Rainbow Society’s slapstick is even more prominent than in Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s classic series.

For example, a teacher who is concerned about diversity at school proposes a burqa as a school uniform, intended to prevent gender discrimination. Birchum himself, accused during the woodwork by a growing boy of forbidding him from working because he is young, responds: ‘Well, actually I wanted to say you’re too fat, anti-gender and ‘fat shaming’. – in Germany, these two scenes from the series would probably have been enough to get the content blocked for hate speech.

But “Daily Wire” can do more than just dish out. Sometimes there is even a judgment on the platform. In the reality show “JUDGED” with well-known “Daily Wire” commentator Matt Walsh, he advises his guests on small conflicts, such as the dispute over botched lip injections. He does this consciously with a touch of humor. In an innovative way, this is not about the theatrical German court shows a la Salesch or Hold, but rather about Walsh’s pragmatic solutions. The viewer is allowed to think about who he trusts.

“Daily Wire+” classifies the daily news situation conservatively

Even the smallest viewers should be able to think on the platform and of course feel entertained. Although Bentkey’s flagship children’s channel, “Chip Chilla”, visually and content-wise almost seems like an imitation of the popular series “Bluey”, it also adheres to the same moral and design standards. Moreover, the pace is considerably slower than many other current children’s series: the aim is not to further tax the short attention span of young viewers, but rather to convey values ​​to them. The question is certainly whether Astrid Lindgren’s real film content is even better suited for this. For the time being, however, Bentkey can only be reached in the States with a VPN connection.

In addition to humorous entertainment and children’s shows, it is also about strengthening one’s own political motives and conveying the ideal image of a strong America to its conservative supporters. They make no secret of it: “We are building the future you want to see”. The Daily Wire does not claim to be impartial. “We are stubborn, we are loud and we have a good time,” it says on the medium’s website. To meet these requirements, the platform offers interesting series, podcasts and films.

“Daily Wire+” can also make documentaries

For example, in ‘The Divided States of Biden’, figurehead and Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiroby the long list of Joe Biden’s transgressions. In the series he discusses the real consequences of his policies, for example the fentanyl crisis or the “invasion” of illegal immigrants in the US: “Joe Biden has led the most destructive immigration policies in history, destroying the lives and sovereignty of Americans into everyday life and plunged the country into its worst constitutional crisis in a generation,” the teaser says.

The documentation of the conservative organization “PragerU” is also worth checking out. Here too you will see content that is tailored to the target group: ‘Detransition’, the meaning of masculinity, wokeness or the conflict in the Middle East. There are also some conversational formats and entertaining, intelligent formats such as “5 Minute Video”, which breaks down complex issues into just a few minutes.

Prices like the streaming competition

In terms of price, the offer is in a comparable segment to the regular streaming providers. An annual subscription costs ten dollars per month. There is the ‘DailyWire+’ content, the free daily shows without commercials, a free year on the children’s platform ‘Bentkey’ and a free ‘cup for left-wing tears’. If it fills up too quickly, the subscription can be increased to $16 per month

In return, you then have the opportunity to get in touch with the various moderators via a private stream – and there is the second cup. If you find this less important, you can first try a monthly subscription. At least there’s all the plus content and the free shows with limited commercial breaks.

More variety would be nice

Is the offer a good deal? The answer to this question also depends on how well-liked “The Daily Wire” has been so far. If you want to stay up to date on the most important political issues every day and are also looking for an in-depth, conservative format, then the streaming platform is the right place for you. The political content provides a solid foundation.

But: Due to the strong focus on conversation formats with high standards, there is not much content left that invites you to relax on the couch in the evening. If you want less political content for a change, “DailyWire+” is a bad choice. There is certainly still a lack of breadth in terms of series and films, and there is no comparison with providers such as Amazon Prime or Netflix.

JF21/24