It can sometimes feel like all streaming services are the same. Sure they have different names, but the content offered by these platforms is almost totally interchangeable. As streaming services continue to redefine how we consume content, OUTtv has been a trailblazer, not just as an entertainment provider but as an example of inclusivity within the LGBTQIA+ space. OUTtv represents the evolution of streaming networks, reflecting a cultural shift towards recognizing and celebrating the vibrant spectrum of voices that have historically been marginalized. OUTtv isn’t just a streaming network, it’s a movement! Read on for everything you need to know about streaming service, OUTtv.
What is OUTtv?
Made by and for the queer community, “OUTtv is the world’s first and leading LGBTQ+ TV channel and streaming service.” It offers original series, documentaries, and specials.
OUTtv was launched in September 2001 as PrideVision TV, and was Canada’s first 24-hour cable television channel targeted at LGBTQIA+ audiences. It relaunched as OUTtv in 2003, and it wasn’t until March 2021 that OUTtv launched in the United States as a streaming service.
In November 2022, it was announced that Fuse Media, the Latino-owned multi-platform entertainment company, was partnering with OUTtv to launch OUTtv Proud, a Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) channel.
How and Where Can I Watch OUTtv and Is OUTtv Free?
OUTtv is available in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. In Canada and the US, OUTtv is available as a channel on Apple TV+.
OUTtv memberships are month-to-month subscriptions.
If you want to subscribe, go to outtv.com. Or, you can download the OUTtv app from the iOS, Android, or Roku app store. Users can choose from three types of subscriptions:
- Monthly
- Bi-Annual
- Annual
In the United States, a one-month subscription to OUTtv costs $2.99. A 6-month subscription costs $16.99. And a 12-month subscription costs $29.99. Each subscription comes with a 7-day free trial period. If you use a promo code for a free trial period, then the paid subscription will automatically begin once that free trial period has ended. Users can cancel their membership at any time during the length of the free trial period at no cost.
What Can I Watch on OUTtv?
Subscribers to OUTtv will have access to tons of LGBTQIA+-focused content including Absolutely Fabulous, For the Love of DILFs, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, Hey Qween!, and more.
For the Love of DILFs became a fan-favorite with a cult following. The dating reality show, hosted by Stormy Daniels, helps “Himbos” and “Daddies” find love. The goal is be the last couple standing, and ultimately walk away with the $10,000 prize.
It’s essentially a queer, lower-budget version of The Bachelor filled with endlessly quotable moments, like when one Himbo accuses another of being on the show (and at “DILF mansion”) for the wrong reasons, and he responds saying, “I’m not a Daddy hopper like some people!” Who wouldn’t want to watch that? (The Guardian called it “a hoot from start to finish.”)
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula is another popular reality show that has drag artists from around the world compete in a drag competition. Unlike Drag Race, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula celebrates more alternative and underground styles of drag art and each challenge orbits around one of the four principles of the show: “Drag”, “Filth”, “Horror”, and “Glamour”. Challenges include costume creation and special-effects makeup.
Documentaries offered on OUTtv include Fire Island ‘79, a short composed of found Super 8 home movies belonging to late filmmaker Chase Hook that chronicle his last summer on Fire Island. The documentary also incorporates found tape from Hook’s answering machine.
There’s also Baloney, a documentary about San Francisco’s popular gay all-male burlesque show. The doc follows the group over the course of 18 months as they rehearse for a New Year’s Eve performance. Baloney is filled with humor, honesty, and sex positivity, and will speak to anyone who’s ever dared to pursue the arts.
Another compelling watch is the short documentary Gay4Pay, which is about the experiences of straight actors who have played gay.
OUTtv is able to offer such a diverse spectrum of programming through the network’s partnerships with content providers who license and produce powerful LGBTQIA+ content. Per OUTtv’s website, “We have relationships with producers and broadcasters all over the world to license and commission the best available TV series, movies and documentaries.”