IN THE BLACK NETWORK vs Mainstreem
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IN THE BLACK NETWORK
This AVOD streaming service features culturally significant and relatable Black voices and original stories. Explore a diverse collection of multi-genre content from Black creators, including sports, music, drama, and family programming.
- Black voices and original stories
- Culturally significant content
- Multi-genre entertainment
- Sports, music, drama, kids/family
- Feature films
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In THE BLACK NETWORK (ITBN) is an AVOD streaming service that highlights Black voices and original stories that are culturally significant and relatable for all audiences. With an expansive collection of Black-focused entertainment, viewers can access multi-genre content from Black creators, including sports, music, scripted, drama, talk, kids/family, feature films and more. Dive in to premium branded experiences and discover curated channels and entertainment with In The Black Network’s Culture Hub.
Mainstreem
Discover a unified platform for all your entertainment needs, including TV shows, movies, music, podcasts, live events, and masterclasses. Access a wide range of content from various sources in a single, convenient application.
- TV show streaming
- Movie library
- Music playback
- Podcast listening
- Live event access
- Masterclass courses
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Mainstreem is your new home for TV, Film, Music, Podcast, Live Events, and even Masterclasses. All in one app!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mainstreem at none against IN THE BLACK NETWORK's 8. Mainstreem also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). IN THE BLACK NETWORK's advantage is ratings volume (237 vs 2) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. IN THE BLACK NETWORK sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Mainstreem asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mainstreem holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IN THE BLACK NETWORK has 237 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of IN THE BLACK NETWORK's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mainstreem's.
IN THE BLACK NETWORK ships an update every 6 weeks, Mainstreem every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IN THE BLACK NETWORK | Mainstreem |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (237 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 237 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | In the Black Network Inc. | Mainstreem, Inc |
Customer experience
IN THE BLACK NETWORK
Mainstreem
In-app purchases
IN THE BLACK NETWORK
- Tier 2 Movie Purchase$1.99
- Tier 3 Movie Rental$2.99
- Tier 3 Movie Purchase$2.99
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- Tier 5 Movie Purchase$4.99
- Tier 8 Bundle Purchase$7.99
- Tier 8 Movie Purchase$7.99
- Tier 10 Movie Purchase$9.99
- Tier 15 Movie Purchase$14.99
Mainstreem
No in-app purchases
