Dropout TV review: Worth making some noise about

DropOut has developed a cult following not just for its stellar programming, but for the genuine care and love that is put into the network. So much so that when its CEO Sam Reich announced a price rise in April of this year for new subscribers, current subs were willing to cancel and resubscribe just to pay more for the platform. It sounds a bit cultish, and if that is the case you can consider me indoctrinated. 

Filled with banger after banger, with a cast who are visibly delighted to be part of the show, Dropout has fast become my go-to streaming service. In place of classic sitcoms and HBO dramas you’ll find an array of original, improv and personality driven shows created to tickle your funny bone.

The variety of content on Dropout doesn’t quite fit into the same rubric as any other streaming service. You can’t really categorise it as movies and tv shows, there is no kids section, and although professional athletes do pop up from time to time there is no sports per se. Instead I would say it has a collection of long form series, minisodes, specials, and campaigns spanning from five minutes through to two hours in length.

Regardless of the length, most of these can function as standalone viewing experiences. You don’t really need to know the lore of Game Changer, Dirty Laundry, or Very Important People, but having familiarity with the cast does add some extra charm. Knowing who the Noise Boys are will add to your Make Some Noise experience, but not knowing won’t detract from it.

Each show can be loosely classified under a few umbrellas like, game show formats, talk show setups, shows that border on reality TV, and playthroughs which I ultimately categorise as Brennan Lee Mulligan. I do need you to understand how strongly I am emphasising the ‘loosely’ part. While each show bears some resemblance to the above, their hooks and production are totally unexpected. Sure Game Changer is a game show, but the rules change every show, and Very Important People is an interview format except the guest is a comedian who was put in a surprise costume, and is making up their character as they go. The most on-the-nose interpretation of a genre is real life playthroughs via Dimension 20. Over the course of around 12 hours (and 6 episodes) the squad completes standalone campaigns led by everyone’s favourite dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan. 

Each show has a strong premise, but it is the quick wit and magnanimous nature of the cast that really makes the content worth watching. You know that one group of people at the pub that just seem to be having a better time than anyone else? That is the kind of chemistry you can expect from the Dropout cast. The unique crew are all hilarious within their own right, but put together you almost feel like you’re a fly on the wall at a game night with a group of best mates. It is legitimately uplifting.

The humour might not be for everyone, but I am yet to meet a person who hasn’t enjoyed Dropout in some way, shape or form. Personally I was introduced to the platform during a pretty dark time. I have joked that Game Changer cured my depression, and while that isn’t entirely possible (according to my doctor at least), it was the first thing to make me belly laugh for over a year. While you shouldn’t use Dropout as a replacement for your antidepressants, if you’re looking for more off-kilter, low stakes, laugh out loud content, it should be at the top of your list.

Despite being billed in USD, and therefore ever-changing for us here in Australia, Dropout is still one of the most affordable streaming services. There is only one, ad-free subscription tier which will cost you $9.17 per month or $91.74 per year in AUD, which is equivalent to $6.99 USD and $69.99 USD, respectively. 

 At under $10 per month, Dropout costs well below the average price of an ad-free streaming platform in Australia but it is also ethically run. The streaming empire has made it harder for actors to make a living on a whole. Sure there is still money in the content, but sitcom and TV show stars traditionally made a lot of their income off of residuals - a small payment every time an episode aired on television. These don’t work the same way anymore, so it leaves actors in a tougher spot. On Dropout however, the profits made by the platform and its affiliated productions are shared between its cast, employees, and guest stars on the show. Your $9 isn’t just going into shareholder value, it is going to the people who created the content.

Dropout also doesn’t have a history of price rises. Where Disney+ and Netflix have been known to up prices multiple times in a year, Dropout has only implemented one price increase. This $1 jump came into effect in May 2025 after its announcement in April 2025, but it didn’t affect current subscriptions, only new ones who signed up after it came into play. If you’re looking for some stability in your streaming costs, historically Dropout is likely to give you that too.

Dropout’s app user experience is pretty much the same as any other well thought out streaming service. You’ll get a new release block at the top, your go-to favourites underneath, and a few extra carousels for discovery. It doesn’t break the mold, but it works.

Programming is available in 4K, with a range of closed captions in different languages. While Dropout’s closed captions are genuinely great and include some excellent descriptive language that routinely makes me giggle, there are a few accessibility exclusions we would prefer to see. At the time of writing the platform doesn’t support screen readers, and audio controls are limited to which operating system you’re using. If you’re watching on an Apple TV then Siri can accomplish a bit, but this varies across devices. This was legitimately surprising considering how proactive and acute the service is with less essential services like content warnings. 

Dropout told Reviews,

So we expect we’ll have more news in the coming months.

Considering the focus on closed captions, Dropout also has an option to download either subtitled or non-subtitled content. Subscribers get unlimited downloads but there may be some limitations to playback depending on the digital rights management. After it has been downloaded, users have 30 days to start playback, and only 48 hours to finish it after you’ve started. If this times out you’ll need to reconnect to the internet to get a new license if the DRM requires. It isn’t much different to any other streaming platform, and practically shouldn’t cause any major issues.

Dropout won’t be for everyone, but if you do enjoy the content then I am confident it will become your favourite streaming service soon enough. Thoughtful inclusions, hilarious shows, profit sharing, and price predictability make it a feel good platform in multiple ways. While the scope of viewing is limited, and there are still some accessibility issues to iron out, my bet is that time will be kind to Dropout. Every week more fresh episodes land on the streamer, and the team seem genuine in their efforts to make Dropout a supportive destination.