What are some of the things broadcasting
and cable networks are doing to attract and keep viewers? How have these
efforts helped them compete with SVOD services? In 3 – 5 years, what do you
expect the TV industry to look like and what role will broadcast/cable/streaming
play? Limit: 12 responses
Lauren Tuckman
ReplyDeleteThere are many things that broadcasting and cable networks are doing to attract and keep viewers and to compete with SVOD services. There are also high expectations for the TV industry in 3-5 years with specific roles for broadcasting/cable and streaming to play. One thing that networks are doing is joining with other streaming services to create new programming. They are also making use of skinny bundles packaging. Networks will need to create more shows that appeal to niche audiences.
Networks have to understand that gaining a television audience is a “popularity business,” and the product must be good enough to spread for wide appeal (Goodman). Instead of announcing their final seasons, a network should advertise that a new similar show is coming on. The television show can’t be difficult to follow or too challenging and should also be uplifting. Even streaming contains subpar television so if the “rules” are followed, broadcast networks can excel (Goodman). Broadcasters can take advantage of the digital competition and reach viewers through critics, “sorting through the bad stuff” on Twitter (Goodman, ). In the “platinum age of television,” people are told about good shows by their friends, co-workers and family members through social media. Paying attention to TV that is “unworthy,” as well as worthy television, may be the next step in evolution (Goodman).
SVOD services including Netflix and Hulu have provided consumers with a large set of options, which has created a loss of Pay TV subscribers (Keung). This has led Pay TV owners to change their entire business approach. For instance, Comcast includes Netflix and YouTube apps in one single platform, which helps achieve a growing audience. Using skinny bundles allows networks to pair down channels offered, thus costing less than traditional TV (Keung). SVOD services are now distorting lines by going ahead of television on demand and offering live OTT streaming services meant to copy the traditional cable experience. YouTube and Hulu have recently launched a 50 channel subscription offered for $30-$40 a month. To compete, Hulu recently launched a live TV proposal for $40 a month with over 50 channels (Keung). The Hulu subscription also offers DVR recording, which is unique. This is a new idea for Hulu, which is owned by many television networks including Disney/ABC, 21st Century Fox, Comcast/NBC Universal and Time Warner (Keung).
Lauren Tuckman Continued
ReplyDeleteAccording to Evan Shapiro, in 2017 FX had 487 television series and also about 890 nonfiction programs. Since 2011 original television series increased 87%. An average audience for the top 25 primes TV shows decreased by 37% and viewing for the top 20 cable networks has decreased by 24%. However, the cost of an hour of television is up 75%. Today audiences across all platforms are niche viewers (Shapiro). There is still a need for good content as shown by increasing PBS audiences after the ending of Downton Abbey. CNN’s original documentaries and non-fiction series gathered an increase in audience (Shapiro). Shapiro states that programmers must evaluate the cost per hour of their shows per viewer and not only show expensive dramas with great stars but utilize producers and artists who are as creative but not as expensive.
As television viewing changes to On-Demand and streaming media as well as mobile media and niche media, programming has to change (Shapiro). Shapiro contends that networks should be spending the money on the newer talent and give shows time to gather an audience rather than wasting money on big names. In addition, television networks should continue to join forces with OTT and streaming services to share production costs and earn more viewers.
WORKS CITED
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: The Evolving Role of Criticism in the Peak and
Platinum TV Era.” The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2018, edit.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/criticism-peak-tv-era-1075572?utm_source.
Keung, Tiffany. “4 Ways Pay TV and SVOD Are Converging.” Cartesian Blog, 20 July 2017, blog.cartesian.com/4-ways-pay-tv-and-svod-are-converging.
Shapiro, Evan. “How Peak TV Arms Race Is Shaping the Way We Make, Sell and Watch (Guest Blog).” The Wrap, The Wrap News Inc., 6 Feb. 2018, www.thewrap.com/peak-tv-arms-race-evan-shapiro-shaping-way-make-sell-watch-guest-blog/.
Over the past few years, to rising prevalence of SVOD services, such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and Amazon have been taking away from the audiences that television, broadcasting and cable networks, had a steady and consistent stream of. Now, in order to keep up with the every growing popularity of SVOD services, the television industry has had to make a concerted effort to compete. One way that television is attempting to attract and keep viewers is to overall increase the amount of original series content on television. “By my measure, this would add 890 original series across all networks and streaming services — for a total of 1,377 original television series in 2017 (not including sports or news)” (Shapiro). Adding more content for viewers to consume seems like a good idea, because if there is more things to watch on TV, it seems likely that more people will want to watch TV, as shows will hit different audience demographics and an array of different topics different groups of people enjoy in the public. Therefore, “the number of original series on TV has increased 87 percent” (Shapiro). However, this plan does not seem to have to desired effect as of now. “More channels have more programming. Streamers make original programs, equal or higher in quality to broadcast and cable. While the total viewership across all television content, on all platforms, has likely increased, the average audience for each hour of that programming is down, significantly” (Shapiro).
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, in order to compete with SVOD services, the oversaturation of content seems like a good idea, to give more people more content to view on television, but because of this some shows and genres are losing their luster on TV. “As a critic, I find it defeating to spend time on series where it takes almost zero critical faculty to realize they will not be good. This is pretty common when evaluating network shows, particularly dramas. While there are plenty of network comedies that are excellent, the dramas, almost by can't measure up to the quality dramas on cable, on streaming platforms and those imported from overseas” (Goodman).
Now despite, potential failed attempts to keep up with SVOD services, TV seems to be evolving, and evolving for the near future, perhaps in the next several years. One effect of the competition of SVOD services, could be causing TV to move towards a la carte system. “Consumers want a la carte pay TV packages. According to TiVo’s Video Trends Report, in first quarter 2017, 77.3% of respondents said they would prefer to pay for only the channels they watch. This figure is up slightly from previous surveys. In the survey, respondents chose an average of only 19 networks as an ideal channel line-up” (Adgate). The movement towards more of a pay for what you want one by one system could be very desirable in the future, because it is very similar to SVOD services as you’re paying the watch what you want, instead of a large channel package like TV provides have at the moment. Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to content consumption, as more and more customers wants the flexibility to consume what they want, when they want it.
Works Cited
Adgate, Brad. “The Future of Television Is a la Carte.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 17 July 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2017/07/17/the-future-of-television-is-a-la-carte/#21b488477a81.
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: The Evolving Role of Criticism in the Peak and Platinum TV Era.” The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2018,
Shapiro, Evan. “How Peak TV Arms Race Is Shaping the Way We Make, Sell and Watch (Guest Blog).” TheWrap, 6 Feb. 2018, www.thewrap.com/peak-tv-arms-race-evan-shapiro-shaping-way-make-sell-watch-guest-blog/.
Watching television as a means of entertainment is still extremely popular, there is no doubt about that. However, the way in which people are watching television is changing, and cable and broadcast networks have to adapt in order to keep up. As people switch to streaming services, broadcast and cable networks' viewership has declined. The price of creating original content had increased while ratings decreased, but they have certainly learned the ways of this technological evolution and should not be counted out.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Network?" we see how broadcast and cable TV are still very much in the game. It reads, "NBS and The CW- and others?- say they're thriving, not dying, having figured out how to monetize digital and other changes" (Goodman). Broadcast networks were able to admit that at one point, they had no solution to this problem. However, they have learned how to keep themselves afloat and successful. They are creating content and distributing it on multiple platforms. The article says, "...broadcast networks are making money - in some cases, lots of it - primarily because they've learned how to make significant ad money off of digital views on multiple platforms" (Goodman).
Broadcast and cable networks are creating a wide variety of content and making it available on different platforms. The diversity of content and joining with streaming services to carry their content is what allows broadcast television networks to remain successful. In the next 3-5 years, I think streaming services' subscribers will continue to rise, and even more platforms will become available. But as this continues to happen, broadcast networks will continue to create their own content and link up with streaming services. An article titled "2017 Emmy Awards: Hulu's Big Win Spotlights Future of Digital" shows just how important traditional TV still is to people. It reads, "Satellite and cable are still an important part of many Americans' lives, with 196.3 million people paying for traditional television service this year. 'People still love one- hour dramas and half-hour sitcoms and news and sports. That hasn't changed at all' Verna said" (Newcomb).
In an article titled "9 Ways Networks and Streaming Rivals are Fighting Back Against Netflix This Year," Paramount President Kevin Kay discusses how network TV remains important. While referring to streaming services, he says, "You're just a cog in a queue, and maybe people can talk about it, or maybe they can't. Nobody's watching it at the same time. I think that's something that's actually a benefit of the pay cable model and the way we are scheduling these shows."
Works Cited:
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912.
Lynch, Jason. “9 Ways Networks and Streaming Rivals Are Fighting Back Against Netflix This Year.” – Adweek, Adweek, 17 Jan. 2018, www.adweek.com/tv-video/9-ways-networks-and-streaming-rivals-are-fighting-back-against-netflix-this-year/.
Newcomb, Alyssa. “2017 Emmy Awards: Hulu's Big Win Spotlights Future on Digital.” NBC News, 18 Sept. 2017, www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/2017-emmy-awards-hulu-s-big-win-spotlights-future-digital-n801821.
In today’s world of an increasing amount of cord-cutters and cord-nevers, broadcast and cable networks are using various tactics in order to keep and attract viewers. They are doing these things in order to compete with SVOD services. One thing they are doing to attract viewers is creating original content, which is currently all the rave with streaming services and TV networks. The total number of scripted originals in 2017 was 487, which is up 7% from 2016 (Goldberg). Scripted originals seem to be dominating TV right now, so broadcast and premium cable have jumped on with the trend. Of the 487, basic cable had the largest share of 175 series and broadcast coming in second with 153 series (Otterson). However, some argue that all this content is simply too much and raises the chances of having terrible TV everywhere, not just on cable. Tim Goodman raises his point, “Disappointing television is everywhere — spotlighting network dramas is just to acknowledge a very easy target. Let it be known that subpar television is alive and well everywhere!” (Goodman).
ReplyDeleteAnother tactic broadcast and cable have tried is making use of the new technology and streaming full episodes of their shows online before they air on TV in order to attract younger viewers. Discovery Communications and Turner are examples that used this strategy. Turner said 16% (960,000) of the online viewers of Animal Kingdom came back to watch the show on TV, after first watching it when it streamed early on Facebook and YouTube (Toonkel). It had 899,000 viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 at its debut, which increased to 1.15 million by the final episode (Toonkel). Discovery has been posting the second episode of some shows right after the first one airs on TV.
Cable and broadcast networks are also taking the popular trend of binge watching and applying it to their shows. Some networks, such as Freeform, are making all the episodes of their show available the day they launch it, so viewers can binge as they wish (Ascheim, Burke). The show received over 14 million multi-platform views in its first seven days and 25% were people who binged the entire first season in one sitting (Macdonald).
In the next three to five years, I honestly don’t think there will be very much difference in terms of the TV industry. I do believe that subscription services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu will continue to gain subscribers and produce original content. But I also believe that broadcast and cable networks will continue to do the same in regards to producing content and finding ways to attract viewers. They may use more of the various tactics they are starting to implement now, such as making their shows available for binge watch or streaming full episodes. Cable and broadcast television’s largest age group is mostly over the age of 50 and I really don’t see that age group suddenly dropping their cable subscriptions all together.
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DeleteWorks Cited
Ascheim, Tom, and Karey Burke. “What's the Future of Television?” Yale Insights, 31 Jan. 2017, insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-s-the-future-of-television.
Goldberg, Lesley. “Scripted Originals Hit Another Record High in 2017.” The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Jan. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/scripted-originals-hit-record-high-2017-1071899.
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: The Evolving Role of Criticism in the Peak and Platinum TV Era.” The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2018, edit.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/criticism-peak-tv-era-1075572?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_now_2018-01-20%2B10%3A47%3A31_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Macdonald, Lindsay. “'Beyond' Cast Is down with the Binge.” Screener, 13 Jan. 2017, screenertv.com/television/beyond-streaming-success-freeform-season-2-renewal/.
Otterson, Joe. “487 Scripted Series Aired in 2017, FX Chief John Landgraf Says.” Variety, 5 Jan. 2018, variety.com/2018/tv/news/2017-scripted-tv-series-fx-john-landgraf-1202653856/.
Toonkel, Jessica, et al. “Networks Look Online to Attract Young Viewers Back to TV.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 30 June 2017, www.reuters.com/article/us-television-internet/networks-look-online-to-attract-young-viewers-back-to-tv-idUSKBN19K2G2.
There’s no denying that the popularity of broadcast and cable television has decreased over the years due to the emergence of SVOD Services. There is also no denying that broadcast and cable television is still widely used among people, but changes have been made in order to keep and gain more viewers.
ReplyDeleteOne strategy being used by networks is to pull scripted originals. CMT recently announced that their hit scripted show Nashville would be coming to an end after it’s sixth season and the network would instead be focusing on unscripted television. TV Land has also made the decision to focus more on unscripted television (Goldberg)
Networks have also grown to accept that television is no longer being consumed solely on a T.V. A focus has been put on delivering content to viewers through smart phones, laptops, and tablets. Technology is evolving and networks are learning to evolve with it. Cable packages are also being used as a way to keep viewers but give them what they want at the same time, all while making money. Viewers can choose which channels they want and only pay for those channels, rather than paying the basic cable price when only a few channels are actually used. Cable packages give the viewers a sense of control over what they are consuming. People can also make the decision to just subscribe to network websites and pay a monthly fee in order to have access to all of that network’s content (Evans).
I think that broadcast and cable television will still be around and doing well in three to five years. Many people, myself included, still tune in to watch their favorite shows live or DVR them. I do think that people forget that talk shows, sports, and the Olympics are all on broadcast and cable television, all of which are very popular.
Streaming services have grown in popularity but there are still plenty of people who watch broadcast and cable television on a regular basis, plus, broadcast and cable television is still making money. NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt stated, “Broadcast networks are making money — in some cases, lots of it — primarily because they've learned how to make significant ad money off of digital views on multiple platforms. It also appears they're getting paid for people watching shows, in some cases, well after the live-plus-3 and live-plus-7 windows — the most desirable viewing opportunities, from an advertising perspective — have closed.” (Goodman)
At the end of the day, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime only have certain shows, which is why some people have to subscribe to multiple SVOD Services in order to get the content they want, which adds up in price. People will still turn to network websites in order to watch shows that are on broadcast and cable television.
Works Cited:
Evans , M. (n.d.). Three trends that will secure the future of broadcast TV. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2016/11/03/three-trends-will-secure-the-future-broadcast-tv
Goldberg, L. (2017, November 20). Viacoms TV Strategy Emerges: Fewer Scripted Series as Networks Rebrand. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/viacoms-tv-strategy-emerges-scripted-series-as-networks-rebrand-1059732?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s Today in Entertainment_now_2017-11-20 07%3A07%3A35_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie
Goodman, T. (2017, August 04). Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks? Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe landscape of broadcasting and cable networks has evolved drastically over such a short amount of time. A decade or so ago, cable networks and broadcasters were a top the food chain. Now, they find themselves finding ways to attract viewers as well as keeping them on board. The Article titled “Revenge of the Broadcast Networks” talked about these strategies the best. “And that is that the broadcast networks are making money — in some cases, lots of it — primarily because they've learned how to make significant ad money off of digital views on multiple platforms. It also appears they're getting paid for people watching shows, in some cases, well after the live-plus-3 and live-plus-7 windows” (Goodman.) The author Tim Goodman of the Hollywood Reporter talks about how these broadcast networks are finding different routes to still make their money. These networks are still changing with the times however. They are using these digital platforms to get their product out there as opposed to being rigid and unwilling to change with the times. Despite the efforts, broadcasting and cable networks must still look at the longer picture (3-5 years) and come up with something that is much more sustainable for the long haul. Scripted shows have become the biggest thing in television content today. “Three years ago, there were 250 scripted series; this year there will be over 500 scripted series. Everybody is going there. It's the red carpet, it's the sexy actors and actresses, it's the opening and it's all the glare and all the glamour–Zaslav” (Szalai.) David Zaslav who is the CEO of Discovery talks about the growth of scripted series and really shows how this is the direction networks and companies are going in. The staunch reality of it all is that in years to come I believe the industry is going to shift even more towards SVOD services with streaming being the much more practical as well as economical way for the average person to watch their TV content. Cable and broadcasting networks will need to find another way to compete with these streaming services. The best idea that I have seen so far is for the cable networks to start their own direct to consumer streaming services and have all of the shows that they have the rights to only available exclusively on their own OTT service (Chris Mills.) This allows the networks with high profile shows to have some leverage over the big dogs such as Netflix and Hulu, who won’t have access to some of the most popular shows. The TV industry is in store for the biggest shift ever over the course of these next couple of years and the way we watch TV is drastically being altered day by day.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSources
ReplyDeleteGoodman, T. (2017, August 04). Critics Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks? Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912
Mills, C. (2018, February 11). Viacom will launch its own streaming service as everyone ditches cable. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from http://bgr.com/2018/02/11/best-cord-cutting-cable-alternatives-comedy-central-streaming/
Szalai, G. (2018, January 10). Discovery CEO: Scripted Content Is "Very Difficult Game" That Is "Not Us". Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-ceo-scripted-content-is-very-difficult-game-is-not-us-1072819
Television has been and will continue to be one of the biggest forms of entertainment that draws in millions of viewers’ everyday, however the way individuals are watching TV is altering and the content and types of shows have begun to be modified in order to acclimate to the ever-changing modes of TV viewing. Subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon are contributing to the low ratings brought upon on cable and broadcasting networks.
ReplyDeleteIndividuals at high rates are deciding to “cut the cord” by getting rid of cable and making the switch to only to SVOD services. Those who have chose to “cut the cord” are “primarily trying to keep expenses down, but they also prefer to stream. They rely heavily on their mobile devices” (Ramspacher 2017). The conversion from cable to streaming services has forced TV producers to come up with innovative ways to keep those who have always had cable, happily on cable and those who have are “cord nevers” who think that TV is not the best way they should spend their money” (Ramspacher 2017) to start using cable.
Cable and broadcasting channels are trying to keep up with SVOD service content by creating new shows in an attempt to pull in the same demographics that watch Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Reality TV will always be cable’s savior. Shows on MTV, E!, Bravo, are VH1 are cheap to produce and are a “safe bet in uncertain times.” Reality shows that had immense viewership when they originally aired are being brought back, like MTV’s “My Super Sweet Sixteen” and “Fear Factor” (Nakamura and Gajewski 2017). The nostalgia from these shows is guaranteed to bring up ratings.
Scripted shows have definitely seen a huge resurgence on Cable with programs that are able to keep up with the Joneses of SVOD services, like NBC’s “This is Us”, FX’s “American Horror Story” and “Fargo”, HBO’s “Big Little Lies” and obviously “Game of Thrones.”
Cable networks are now making it easier to binge their content. Majority of channels have their own apps where viewers can watch all their shows in order like they would on Netflix. “Broadcast networks are making money — in some cases, lots of it — primarily because they've learned how to make significant ad money off of digital views on multiple platforms” (Goodman 2017). And to get even more of an effect of an SVOD service, channels are creating limited series that air a new episode every night of the week, allowing viewers to watch a whole season in a just 7 days, like USA’s “The Sinner”, and TBS’ “Search Party.”
ReplyDeleteIn the next three to five years I don’t think the TV industry will have much of a change than what’s going on right now. However I do expect that SVOD services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon will continue to increase their viewership but their rates will rise and those who used SVOD services because they didn’t want to pay for cable will see that having multiple streaming services will hit their pockets harder than before. I also believe that cable and broadcasting networks will remain fighting for more ratings by generating more creative content that will allow cable to keep up with the standards of their viewers.
Baar , Aaron. “Cord-Cutters, 'Cord-Nevers' Differ In Viewing, Demographics, Pay TV Subs.”04/24/2017, 24 Apr. 2017, www.mediapost.com/publications/article/299611/cord-cutters-cord-nevers-differ-in-viewing-dem.html.
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912.
Nakamura, Reid, and Ryan Gajewski. “If Peak TV Has Peaked, Will Reality Rise to Replace It?” TheWrap, 16 May 2017, www.thewrap.com/if-peak-tv-has-peaked-will-reality-rise-to-replace-it/.
It is no secret that traditional media sources are struggling to maintain their historical dominance with new developing technologies. Traditional TV networks, for example, are basically scrambling to find any way to survive against their top competitors, streaming services. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Go are totally dominating, and even starting to take away top titles at awards shows geared towards TV networks.
ReplyDeleteWith more and more people cutting their cords and relying solely on digital, T.V studios are beginning to adopt new strategies. Take Viacom, whose brands include MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, VH1, and others, have been making changes which led them to have an overall successful 2017. One of their strategies is to create more collaboration amongst their brands, “A primary Bakish strategy has been to make the various brands work better together” (Bond, Szalai). Also, Viacom just recently announced that they will be launching their own streaming service.
Networks launching their own streaming services is another mentioning strategy that various companies are using to combat the wrath of companies like Netflix. Another company that will be launching their own streaming services this year is Disney, where they will be pulling all of the content that they own from other streaming sites. However, this strategy is extremely inconvenient and annoying for customers, “If you thought the rapid demise of cable bundles was going to mean simpler TV packages and cheaper entertainment, Viacom has some bad news for you” (Mills).
Even though I’m sure this strategy will help networks survive in the boiling water they are currently in, I’m not sure it will keep fans. Considering that Shonda Rhimes just left ABC and signed a new contract with Netflix, I’m not sure networks will be able to keep their hit show writers.
Network TV is so much more restrictive than SVOD services which is relevant when it comes to Shonda’s big trade over, “Netflix’s popular streaming service offered the tantalizing opportunity to try new things creatively beyond the ‘soapy, twist-heavy dramas’ she’s known for- a trademark she suggested was partly due to the constraints imposed by network television” (Mangalindan). SVOD services are also willing to spend a lot more money for original content than networks, because at the end of the day they have more money.
In the future, I think streaming services will be the demise of content consumption purely based on the competitive landscape that it is developing, and cable subscriptions will thrive as a result. No one wants to pay for that many streaming services, it isn’t cost efficient which was originally the sparkling appeal of streaming. I also think that Netflix, especially since it doesn’t have any network stakeholders like Hulu, will fail. More and more companies are going to start pulling their content from the site in order to support their own streaming services. This will cause Netflix to lose subscribers and budgets for their own original content.
Works Cited
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Has Anyone Noticed That the TV Industry Has Lost Its Shit Lately?” The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sept. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/critics-notebook-has-anyone-noticed-tv-industry-has-lost-shit-lately-1039539.
Mangalindan, JP. “'Scandal' Creator Shonda Rhimes: Why I Left ABC for Netflix.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 21 Nov. 2017, www.yahoo.com/finance/news/scandal-creator-shonda-rhimes-left-abc-netflix-182124114.html.
Mills, Chris. “Viacom Will Launch Its Own Streaming Service as Everyone Ditches Cable.” BGR, 11 Feb. 2018, bgr.com/2018/02/11/best-cord-cutting-cable-alternatives-comedy-central-streaming/.
Szalai, Paul Bond, and Georg Szalai. “How Viacom Is Emerging From Its Reorganization.” The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-viacom-is-emerging-reorganization-1052670.
ReplyDeleteIt is no surprise that the means of watching television has drastically changed over the years. This change is specifically the switch from watching tv live on cable networks to watching content on streaming services. Broadcasting and cable networks are putting forth their full efforts in maintaining their dwindling viewers. They are in severe competition with SVOD services such as, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. Cable networks are fighting back and making efforts to combat this competition and bring attention back to the ‘old’ way of viewing television.
In Tim Goodman’s article, ‘Revenge of the broadcast networks’ broadcast networks are defined as ‘aging dinosaurs just getting closer to extinction.’ While this problem is obvious, for a long time, networks admittedly had almost zero answers to these problems. This is no longer the case; networks have adjusted and came up with different strategies to keep their money coming in. Goodman states, ‘ broadcast networks are making money—in some cases, lots of it--- primarily because they’ve learned how to make significant ad money off of digital views on multiple platforms. It also appears they’re getting paid for people watching shows, in some cases, well after the live-plus-3 and live-plus-7 windows—the most desirable viewing opportunities, from an advertising perspective—have closed. This means viewers can watch their show of choice after it has already aired live for a limited time, such as 72 hours or longer.
In another article titled Critics Notebook, The Evolving Role of Criticism, Goodman more specifically mentions a few key factors that can help. Broadcast networks are in business to appeal to the broadest of audiences, which means, the product must appeal to as many people as possible. To be widely popular, a product should be similar and easy to follow. “It should be uplifting or aspirational, filled with requited love, justice prevailing and exceptional doctors--- and of course, brimming with very good-looking people.”
In 3 to 5 years, I expect the TV industry to look different than it does now. Due to customer demand and the turn of the technology era, people have access to shows immediately verses having to wait for each episode to broadcast per week. Streaming play can changed the game of TV and experts are trying to predict the future for broadcast and cable TV. The president of Freeform Tom Ascheim and the network’s VP Kasey Burke believe that networks will adapt to appear more like these streaming sites. Ascheim states “…as we look out at our future, we imagine some of the features that are in SVOD services are going to be in our expanded sense of what a network means. We are launching a show this January where we’re making all the episodes available the day we launch it…”. This is only one network’s approach to increase customer’s retention rates, but it does seem like an idea that soon could be the future of cable as we know it.
“What's the Future of Television?” Yale Insights, 31 Jan. 2017, insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-s-the-future-of-television.
Goodman, T. (2017, August 04). Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks? Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: The Evolving Role of Criticism in the Peak and
Platinum TV Era.” The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2018, edit.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/criticism-peak-tv-era-1075572?utm_source.
SVOD services have been extremely popular with the millenials and Gen Zers. This is something that has affected the television industry. But with all of the competition, traditional broadcasting and cable networks still manage to attract and keep viewers. Some ways that they do this is to also put out scripted originals and have bundles and packages. Some still prefer to watch scripted originals live. In the Scripted Originals Hit Another Record High in 2017 article by Lesley Goldberg, she mentions, “Broadcast volume remained largely the same, moving from 146 in 2016 to 153 — its largest number ever — in 2017. Premium cable held its course (growing from 36 to 42) (Goldberg 2018.) As Goldberg mentions in the quote above, broadcast services have increased their scripted originals since 2016. This shows that there has been an increase of content created. This must mean there is a demand of it.
ReplyDeleteAnother huge factor that affected broadcasters and cable TV was the presidential election. That really made people want to tune into what Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton had to say. According to Cable TV Rankings 2016 – Presidential Politics Fuels Ratings Gains article by Lisa de Moraes, the biggest audience gains were by news networks and it is pretty clear as to why. Moraes also mentions, “With presidential politics taking over as viewers’ contact sport of choice, FNC enjoyed a 36% year-to-year total-viewer spike, while ESPN tumbled 11%, after 2015’s 7% decline.” (Moraes 2016.)
In terms of how these efforts helped compete with SVOD services, if the cable company constantly makes content that is original and only on it’s network, that allows for people to only tune in on there. In an article by Broadcasting Cable, Jon Lafayette says, “The report provides new data on the slow but steady continuation of trends affecting the TV business, including the fall in pay-TV homes, the increased use of smartphones to view video, and the increasing penetration of subscription video on demand.” (Lafayette 2017.) This goes to show how SVODs are affecting cable and broadcast. With offers such as skinny bundles, it makes it easy to say yes to using SVOD rather than an actual cable company.
Speaking of 3-5 years, personally, I think that broadcast and cable TV will decline greatly. I think that with streaming and other SVOD services, people are able to watch things on their own time rather than have to tune in live. I used to tune in live with some shows I would avidly watch, but as I grew older, I noticed I did not have as much time as I used to. In class, I mentioned how I don’t watch TV or have any SVODs, that is due to the fact that I do not have time to consume anything. I think there are other people out there like me who have the same issue. Essentially, in the 3-5 year span, I believe cable TV will see a decline. Everyone seems to be transferring to SVOD especially with skinny bundles available.
Goldberg Lesley. “Scripted Originals Hit Another Records High in 2017.” The Hollywood Reporter. 5, January 2018, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/scripted-originals-hit-record-high-2017-1071899
Morars, Lisa de. “Cable TV Rankings 2016 – Presidential Politics Fuels Ratings Gains. 20 December 2016. http://deadline.com/2016/12/cable-rankings-network-ratings-fox-cnn-msnbc-1201873996/
Lafayette, Jon. “Nielsen: Live TV Viewing Continues to Decline.” Broadcasting Company. 3 April, 2017. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/nielsen-live-tv-viewing-continues-decline/164565
SVOD services have become increasingly popular throughout the last couple of years. Streaming and choosing content to watch on your own time has an extreme sense of convenience that cable television cannot always offer.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with streaming services is not necessarily coming from subscribers of these services, but the networks on broadcast television competing for viewership and exposure. In an article written by Tim Goodman, he explains the problems that broadcast television has because of on-demand services. He explains “...the networks are very tired of hearing: that they're dinosaurs, built on an economic model (advertising) that has been supplanted by a subscription-based, commercial-free service that was first the method of premium cable channels and then, in the world of broadband streaming, gave rise to digital platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.” (Goodman.) Viewers choose content based off of many factors. I certainly choose programs based off popularity and reviews as well as the fact that I rely on the algorithms centered around things that SVOD services say I “might like.” Broadcast television is a bit different. It does not rely on its users choosing content from a list for instant play, it relies on users tuning in at a set time to watch the content that they enjoy. There’s a lot of reasons why this is inconvenient, and it can be extremely costly each month when it comes time to pay your bill to your cable provider.
Social media outreach are the types of techniques that have been relatively successful in keeping broadcast television shows alive. Producers have been implementing tactics that allow holders of social media accounts to #livetweet along with the show, interact with the producers as well as other fans of the show. Goodman confirms this in another article that he writes explaining the evolving role of criticism in the platinum television era. He states that “in the Platinum Age of television people are being told by friends, co-workers or cousins about countless fascinating shows out there.” (Goodman.) This happens regardless of whether or not the shows are airing on broadcast television or watched after the first air-date on an SVOD service. This process is one that holds so much value, while ultimately user-generated!
While original television preceded SVOD services, services like Netflix have cultivated their own opinions on what will happen to the once favorite cable television in modern households. In an article written by Lapowsky, five major points point to which direction the television industry is heading in, and to be brutal, it’s not an upwards direction. They presume that by the year 2025, you’ll have about 48 million television channels, the commercial will be dead to all man-kind, creative freedom will skyrocket, live sports may or may not arrive on netflix, and everyone will have a smartTV. While these predictions may seem far off, we are heading towards a totally digitally dominated era. Small shows that are dedicated to a niche audience may have a better chance for survival as well as allow filmmakers and producers more freedom to create content dedicated to those audiences. In the article, Lapowsky says that “...as Netflix's personalization engine becomes smarter and smarter, he said, it will become easier for those small audiences to discover new content they might not otherwise have found. That will give people like filmmakers and actors more creative freedom, he explained, because they'll finally have a distribution channel that will tolerate small, highly individuated audiences.” (Lapowsky.)
So while original television may never die, we sure see the attempts of SVOD services to take over and surpass television by a longshot. As well as this, we will continue to see a rise in the use of social media to advertise shows and interact with audience members – and it may just change the way you watch your favorite programming.
WORKS CITED:
DeleteGoodman, Tim. “Critics Notebook: The Evolving Role of Criticism in the Peak and Platinum TV Era.” The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2018, edit.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/criticism-peak-tv-era-1075572?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%2527s%2520Today%2520in%2520Entertainment_now_2018-01-20%252010%3A47%3A31_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Goodman, Tim. “Critics Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912.
Lapowsky, Issie. “What Television Will Look Like in 2025, According to Netflix.” Wired, Conde Nast, 3 June 2017, www.wired.com/2014/05/neil-hunt/.
Clearly, traditional television media is struggling to maintain its command of the media market as it has since its inception. Traditional broadcast networks and cable companies are struggling to draw in new customers when cord cutting options such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix and HBO GO all offer similar or better content. As a result of the growing threat, TV Networks are looking for ways in which they can turn back the clock and attract customers to traditional television content. This is an increasingly difficult task, however, in an increasingly digital world.
ReplyDeleteThis shift we are seeing from traditional broadcast media to digital media is changing the entire dynamic of the television industry. Television companies recognize this, and are looking for new ways to adapt as a result. In an article by Tim Goodman, NBC Chairmen Bob Greenblatt describes how his company is making ad revenue from digital views from a multitude of platforms. It is of immense importance that broadcast companies like NBC adapt their business model to fit the digital platform in order to stay afloat. Despite some of these changes, the real problem is clear. As illustrated in the same article by Goodman, the traditional broadcast television business model is simply aging, for “it has been supplanted by a subscription-based, commercial-free service” (Goodman).
This seems to be network televisions biggest issue, that their business model simply cannot compete with a better, less ad-intrusive subscription based business model that digital media companies like Netflix and Hulu offer. This is why popular TV shows like Scandal are creeping their way into digital media and abandoning traditional platforms. Shonda Rhimes, creator of the show Scandal, said that the switch from network television to Netflix represented the “tantalizing opportunity to try new things creatively beyond the ‘soapy, twist-heavy dramas’ she’s known for – a trademark she suggested was party due to the constraints imposed by network television” (Mangalindan). New media companies like Netflix and HBO GO can offer much more creative freedom to content creators as well. More creative freedom means less constraints on content creators, which inevitably means more shows are going to part with traditional television media in favor of new digital media platforms.
With the plethora of digital competition, one would think that cable companies would offer lower prices and better packages to their customers in an attempt to reel them back into their services. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Increasingly, network companies are looking to expand their brand and create their own streaming services to combat those of their new competitors. Disney represents one of the biggest examples of this shift to digital streaming services. CEO of Disney Bob Iger said that “This represents a big strategic shift for the company. We felt that having control of a platform we've been very impressed with after buying 33 percent of it a year ago would give us control of our destiny" (Castillo).
While digital media platforms are rapidly taking over consumer households, I think traditional network television and cable companies will still be prominent within the next 3-5 years. Their customer base is broad, with almost every household in America owning a television. For this reason, I think that traditional television networks will remain prevalent for more than 5 years. As time goes by, however, I think that more customers are going to be abandoning their cable subscriptions and will simply opt for the commercial free, subscription based services that are available. I think television sets will evolve to all-in-one entertainment systems that revolve around streaming based services and internet content, rather than traditional network and cable channels.
Works Cited
Delete1. Castillo, Michelle. “Disney to end movie deal with Netflix and start its own streaming services.” CNBC, CNBC, 9 Aug. 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/08/08/disney-will-pull-its-movies-from-netflix-and-start-its-own-streaming-services.html.
2. Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912.
3. Mangalindan, JP. “'Scandal' Creator Shonda Rhimes: Why I Left ABC for Netflix.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 21 Nov. 2017, www.yahoo.com/finance/news/scandal-creator-shonda-rhimes-left-abc-netflix-182124114.html.