What are some of the things linear 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: 14 responses
Paul Logue
ReplyDeleteMSS Blog 3
There’s no doubt that streaming services are quickly becoming the more popular option over cable television. The largest cable provider, Comcast, has only 22.1 million subscribers, whereas Netflix has 209.67 million. In addition, nearly all young people aged 25-34 are viewing their television content via the internet, (Nick G). This has forced traditional linear television networks to get creative, whether they have is a different story. Streaming is quickly overtaking cable. I don’t think they have been as creative as streaming companies have been and that’s why they are in trouble. Even sports primetime viewership is declining, which many people credit as the only reason they still have cable. ESPN owns the two most watched sports networks, ESPN and ESPN2, but primetime viewership has still declined 26.6 percent, (Bridge). This is due to their lack of creativity. It’s hard to sell a product that has less to offer and is more expensive. People with cable are left with hundreds of channels they don’t even watch. Streaming offers everything customers could want for cheap, comparatively speaking. Live television streaming also carries many of the most popular channels people want. One cable network in particular, MTV, played Ridiculousness for 113 hours out of their 168-hour lineup, (Schneider and Aurthur). There is a complete lack of creativity for many of these networks. This is the problem. It is so hard for them to attract new customers when these streaming services offer everything cable can and more.
Paul Logue
DeletePart 2
Another thing to think about is how people don’t necessarily view television in terms of channels anymore. The question has shifted to what streaming service is that show on? We have totally shifted our thinking, especially in the younger demographic. Looking into the future I think that streaming services will carry most television shows and cable will still have news and sports. This is already starting to happen, but in the next couple of years we will continue to see this. Cable needs to just focus on what they do best. Like I already mentioned, many people keep cable just because of sports. To keep this audience, they must get more creative. One thing ESPN tried which I personally liked was the Manning brothers covering Monday Night Football, but they are going to have to do a lot more and very quickly. Streaming is only going to get bigger and bigger. Last year alone, it was estimated that 30 percent of consumers plan to cut the cord, (Nick G). If cable doesn’t get creative very quick, they could be in trouble. I do think that there is more room in the streaming industry for other companies as content has become very niche. As for linear television we are going to start to see some consolidation. I think that a lot of networks are going to be bought out by these streaming platforms.
References
Bridge, Gavin. “Fading Ratings: Viewership Declines in Key Cable Genres.” Variety, Variety, 30 Dec. 2021, https://variety.com/vip/fading-ratings-viewership-declines-in-key-cable-genres-1235144463/.
G, Nick. “19 Cord Cutting Statistics and Trends in 2021 [The Dusk Of TV Is Here].” TechJury, 1 Nov. 2021.
Schneider, Michael, and Kate Aurthur. “R.I.P. Cable TV: Why Hollywood Is Slowly Killing Its Biggest Moneymaker.” Variety, Variety, 4 Dec. 2020, https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/cable-tv-decline-streaming-cord-cutting-1234710007/.
Lachie Harvey
ReplyDeletePt 1.
Cable networks and broadcasters are truly struggling in this day and age. Streaming simply outclasses it in accessibility, content and almost every respect. That being said, linear TV isn’t quite dead yet. One of the most critical things that TV can still claim is the most viewed program. Year after year, the superbowl emerges as the number one most viewed program of the year. This year was no different. According to numbers supplied by SambaTV, via GlobeNewswire, 36 million households tuned in to the superbowl this past Sunday. This 36 million is an increase in 12 percent from last year, which saw 29 million households viewing it. While Amazon Prime and Paramount + are both making moves to secure rights to the program, and I personally watched the game on Paramount +, millions of Americans watched the superbowl on their TV through cable or another standard program. Even with this increase, most of these viewers are going to flock to streaming platforms as they continue to expand over the next few years.
So if sport isn’t the long term answer for cable, what is? It’s worth looking over the numbers for 2021 to get an idea. According to a Variety article about the top 100 shows of 2021, the top performing shows, when you take away football, are dramas. NCIS occupied 21 of the top 100 spots of the year, while FBI and 60 minutes took away nine and seven respectively. There really isn’t too much one can do beyond what is currently being done when it comes to these shows. Making more doesn’t guarantee success in the slightest. Increasing the budget is also unlikely to attract new viewers, considering the virtually endless model that these shows conform to.
Lachie Harvey
ReplyDeletePt 2.
What about award shows? Unfortunately, 2021 was not a good year for awards. Variety’s top 100 article showcased that the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Grammy Awards all missed the list. Before completely dismissing this, it isn’t a terrible idea to look into why, if the Academy Awards came back into the limelight, cable could have a popular program to work with, albeit only once a year. Variety also did an article about five ways the Oscar’s can improve. Two of these suggestions stood out to me as very promising. The first being to include voice acting categories. Animated films are a huge part of the film landscape every year so acknowledging the voice performances that go into them could be a great way to entice viewers. The second was an award for stunt work. While stunt workers are usually going to be far less recognizable, showcasing stunts performed via short clips on screen could help viewers to pay attention.
Unfortunately, even with all of this, I don’t think there’s any way that traditional TV can remain relevant in the coming years. With the biggest TV providers switching to streaming, the future is extremely grim for them. In 5 years time, I expect almost every television in America to be equipped with some kind of streaming service.
Davis, C. (2021, November 26). Top 5 Ways to Make the Oscars Great Again (column). Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://variety.com/2021/awards/awards/academy-awards-telecast-tips-to-make-better-2022-1235119421/
Schneider, M. (2022, February 4). Top 100 Telecasts of 2021: 'NCIS,' 'Yellowstone,' NFL Dominate, as Oscars Fail to Make the Cut. Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/top-rated-shows-2021-ncis-yellowstone-squid-game-1235143671/
Kate, N.-F. (2022, February 14). Samba TV Reports Big Super Bowl LVI Viewership Win for NFL & NBC. GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/14/2384588/0/en/Samba-TV-Reports-Big-Super-Bowl-LVI-Viewership-Win-for-NFL-NBC.html
Olivia Kettell 1/2
ReplyDelete“Cord-cutting” has become an increasingly popular term and trend in the world of cable. Emma Mayer of Newsweek describes it as an “economic trend” that has been occurring for the past couple years; by 2019 almost 40 million Americans had already ended their cable subscription in favor of streaming. By the end of 2022, the number is expected to reach 55 million (Mayer). It’s true – according to Variety, TV is just not the same anymore and the only kinds of programs garnering any kind of mass viewership are sports – particularly NFL games, which comprised the top 8 consecutive slots of 2021’s top 100 telecasts and practically the rest of the list, and additionally the Olympics, World Series and NBA Finals, and some college games as well (“Top 100 Telecasts…”).
Sports are proving the only kind of live entertainment that viewers are willing to watch on their television, and last year other live events like award shows did incredibly poorly in terms of viewership, which could be attributed to the Covid-style approach to the ceremonies, the lack of red carpets, or general disinterest with events like the Academy Awards (“Top 100 Telecasts…”).
In terms of shows, there were no comedy or reality shows in the entire top 100 list last year. Shows like NCIS and The Equalizer on CBS are continuing to do well among scripted shows, and one drama that made the list was Paramount’s Yellowstone (“Top 100 Telecasts…”). In the world of news, the lack of political events and Covid updates to cover has been detrimental for most news outlets. Fox, MSNBC, and CNN all saw pretty drastic decreases in viewership last year which could potentially be caused by their coverage, which also stands in stark contrast to the eventful year of 2020 (“Most-Watched Television Networks…”). Overall, among live TV programming it is clear that sports are what most people are using TV for.
Olivia Kettell 2/2
DeleteIn response to this, many cable companies have been offering their viewers “skinny bundles,” which are less channels available in their scription for a lower price. Still, cable is pretty expensive for most viewers and even managing a couple streaming subscriptions is cheaper than cable (Mayer). Even putting the sheer cost of cable aside, people are much less willing to rely on cable because it is just becoming more and more irrelevant and outdated. Sports are even becoming available with a subscription to certain streaming services. One potential beacon of light for cable players is the rising cost of streaming services. Because people are now turning towards streaming for television shows, those companies must invest more money to develop original content which therefore is causing many to increase their prices. Netflix and Amazon are among those who have already done so, and Disney+ is considering it as well (Mayer). However, the likelihood of this causing an impact on cable viewership is uncertain, with many networks even promoting their own streaming services to viewers.
Ultimately, I believe that live events won’t be enough for cable networks to draw in viewers in the near future. We are already seeing such a decline in award shows and news, and there is no telling what arena could be the next casualty. Additionally, streaming is changing so fast and is so new that its future is uncertain as well. In the next couple years personally I predict a drastic cutting down of cable, potentially even just to sports and news, for a much lower price, and perhaps every household will rely mainly on streaming for entertainment.
Works Cited
Mayer, Emma. “Can Cable Make Resurgence With Rise in Streaming Prices?” Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2022, https://www.newsweek.com/can-cable-make-resurgence-rise-streaming-prices-1678194.
Schneider, Michael. “Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2021’s Winners and Losers.” Variety, Variety, 30 Dec. 2021, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/network-ratings-2021-top-channels-1235143630/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
Schneider, Michael, and Mónica Marie Zorrilla. “Top 100 Telecasts of 2021: ‘NCIS,’ ‘Yellowstone,’ NFL Dominate, as Oscars Fail to Make the Cut.” Variety, Variety, 29 Dec. 2021, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/top-rated-shows-2021-ncis-yellowstone-squid-game-1235143671/.
Katie Mone
ReplyDeleteIn this modern digital era, we are seeing a steady decline in cable and broadcast television as streaming services continue to soar up the charts. But these traditional TV networks won’t give up yet! Many have made tremendous efforts to hold on to their subscribers and maintain viewership, but it’s hard to know what the near future has in store for these networks or if they will last long-term. The start of the global pandemic certainly made a dent in streaming popularity as well. While it seems there will always be some need for broadcast and cable, it is hard to say whether or not the perks of traditional TV will be able to power through the overwhelming streaming universe.
Content of all kinds is rapidly decreasing on cable networks. Content for children and young people is on a particularly slippery slope. According to an article from The Variety, “The major kids cable networks have seen total primetime audiences plunge in recent years. Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network benefit from data only being available from 2016, missing some key years of decline, but the trend of rapid viewer evaporation has hit all children and teen-focused content” (Bridge). In order to maintain this young viewership, many children’s channels have created streaming equivalents. For instance, Nickelodeon has a Noggin app where children can watch episodes of their favorite shows, Disney has Disney Plus, etc. So what does this mean for the cable networks? With Disney Channel and Nickelodeon being two of cable’s most expensive networks, and numerous streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Apple) having kids’ content of their own, cable networks are strongly advised to be “pushing kids content onto an optional tier in order to bring costs down” (Bridge) in order to maintain viewership.
While most of us are well enough aware of the pandemic’s impact on the streaming surge, there are other factors in play that have caused streaming to succeed and cable to deplete. Millions of Americans were already cutting the cord and increasing their streaming intake in 2020, but this dysfunctional year was also a very important time in politics. “Coupled with the onset of Covid-19 shutdowns, the year 2020 was a ratings bonanza for the news business, so it’s natural that there would be a bit of a come down” (Johnson). Being the year of a very intense and controversial election with a new virus thrown on top caused many news networks in particular to plummet. Networks like Fox News were able to come back on top after falling behind CNN and MSNBC earlier in the year. News is something that people will probably always tune into. Even after cutting cable cords, live news is still available on streaming services with live TV. Unlike the kids’ broadcast networks, news networks should be okay in this streaming world.
DeleteWhen considering cable television as a whole, the future doesn’t look too promising. Since 2012, 25 million Americans have cut the cord. “By the end of 2025, another 25 million are expected to get rid of cable” (Beausoleil). The goal should be to maintain what cable was originally known for. Networks want casual viewers to stop and watch their content while they’re flipping through the channels. In a world that is being dominated by streaming services and Internet TV, as much as cable networks try to maintain viewership and attention, it doesn’t seem realistic to think we’ll ever go back to the cable we once knew and loved.
Works Cited
Beausoleil, M. (2021, June 29). Cable TV dying. what does the future look like? Medium. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://beausoleil.medium.com/cable-tv-dying-what-does-the-future-look-like-f04b28c81e99
Bridge, G. (2021, December 30). Fading Ratings: Viewership Declines in Key Cable Genres.
Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://variety.com/vip/fading-ratings-viewership-declines-in-key-cable-genres-1235144463/
Johnson, T. (2021, December 26). A look back at 2021: Cable News viewership dropped - and there may be more disruption to come (analysis). Deadline. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://deadline.com/2021/12/cable-news-ratings-2021-fox-cnn-1234899789/
Jennifer Greene
ReplyDeleteIt is no secret that linear broadcasting is on it’s way out as almost all Americans aged 25 - 34 access TV content via the internet, and “only 56% of Americans watched satellite or cable,” (G., 2022). The three major aspects of linear tv that keep consumers interested are kids networks/channels, cable news, and sports. However, it looks like even these elements are not enough to prevent consumers from cutting the cord.
First, the major kids cable networks have seen a dramatic plummet over the last five years. According to Variety, streaming is responsible for the drop in viewings. Since 2015 the average primetime audience is continuing to decrease, and Variety predicts, “With big media leaning into kids TV libraries as key for their SVODs—Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+—and the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Apple also having kids content as a commitment, we’re likely to keep seeing kids cable TV viewership decline annually,” (Bridge, 2021).
The same cannot be said for the cable news networks, which has seen an uptick in viewership since 2014. 2020 was a huge year for cable news as the world was witnessing a global pandemic and a tumultuous Presidential election, but this peak in viewership would not sustain itself into 2021, which is evident from the data presented by VIP+. However, “with 2022 bringing with it the first set of national elections since the 2020 Presidential race, expect year-over-year audience change to be positive again,” (Bridge, 2021). With this information it is evident that cable news is one of linear TV’s saving graces as news networks have not fully broken into streaming. On the streaming front, however, many news networks are investing in streaming platforms such as Fox’s Fox Nation and CNN preparing to launch CNN+, (Johnson, 2021). This leads me to believe that many networks will follow suit and news will become more prevalent on streaming services.
Lastly, sports networks/channels are the most important element for linear TV. In 2021, “of the 50 top-rated primetime telecasts of the year, 43 of them were sporting events,” (Harvey, 2022). Due to the pandemic, the sports industry suffered as there were no live games or audiences, but we saw a rebound in 2021. Although this is a good sign for the future of sports networks, overall most major networks have seen a drop in viewership since 2019.
So, even with these three major aspects, it is clear that linear TV is still in no shape to compete with the rise in streaming services. The TV industry is a dying industry when looking at the data as each year the viewership gets lower and lower. I predict that this pattern will continue in the next 3-5 years, but it is impossible to predict what the future holds for such a powerful industry. It will be fascinating to watch this all unfold over the next decade as streaming gains traction and linear TV rapidly falls.
References:
G., N. (2022, February 6). 19 Cord Cutting Statistics and Trends in 2022 [The Dusk Of TV is Here]. Tech Jury. https://techjury.net/blog/cord-cutting-statistics/#gref
Harvey, B. (2022, January 13). The Future of Linear Television Depends on Sports | MediaVillage. MediaVillage; https://www.facebook.com/mediavillagecom. https://www.mediavillage.com/article/the-future-of-linear-television-depends-on-sports/
Johnson, T. (2021, December 26). A Look Back At 2021: Cable News Viewership Dropped After Wild 2020 – Deadline. Deadline; Deadline. https://deadline.com/2021/12/cable-news-ratings-2021-fox-cnn-1234899789/
Corinna Caimi (1/2)
ReplyDeleteLinear broadcasting and cable networks have had to get creative to keep viewers amid streaming services taking over and viewership habits changing rapidly. “Double-digit dips remain the reality for most of the basic and premium networks…” even with the saving grace of primetime sports, according to Schneider. The NFL holds 39 of the 100 top telecasts of the year, showing it to be by far the most popular viewing on TV.
In comparison, however, with streaming, consumers streamed nearly 15 million years’ worth of content, according to Nielsen (Spangler). As a result, even the biggest cable TV provider, Comcast, has lost over 22.1 million subscribers within the last few years (Nick G.).
Some of the data on viewing habits also supports this trend. According to Nick G., nearly 30% of US consumers plan to cut the cord entirely from their cable services in 2021 in favor of cheaper, more pinpointed combinations of streaming services, and 90% of young people prefer to access their viewing through the internet.
So with the trend reaching towards cable being used primarily for live sports and streaming taking over, where does this put linear broadcasting, and what are they going to do moving forward?
According to the Better Software Group, the main challenges facing linear broadcasters are the ability to stay relevant, knowing what consumers want, and competing for consumer attention. Linear broadcasters will have to expand and make their content worthwhile in the sea of competing voices. “To remain relevant, linear broadcasters will have to look into the possibilities of programmatic and VOD elements – not only for content recommendations but also for better advertising opportunities,” or risk being completely overtaken by the wide variety of streaming services available for consumers to cherry-pick (Better Software Group).
However, some key benefits to linear broadcasting can show why it is still an essential part of the industry. It boils down to just how many streaming services there are. Consumers can be quickly overwhelmed with the abundance of streaming services and the never-ending list of content on them. Linear TV can guide viewers to discover new forms of content instead of being stuck in their echo chamber of current tastes.
In my opinion, cable has to rely on more than just sports, especially considering some streaming services have started to dip their toes into this area. With Hulu’s Live TV option, and NBC streaming the Winter Olympics on Peacock in addition to cable, it seems unlikely that primetime sports won’t start to follow. In three to five years, I expect we will begin to see streaming shift to a cable-like model. I predict that there will be large bundles of streaming services that you can purchase together. More and more people will cut cords with their cable provider as the bundles get better and cheaper.
Corinna Caimi (2/2)
DeleteG., Nick. “19 Cord Cutting Statistics and Trends in 2022 [the Dusk of TV Is Here].” Techjury, Techjury, 6 Feb. 2022, techjury.net/blog/cord-cutting-statistics/#gref.
Schneider, Michael. “Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2021's Winners and Losers.” Variety, Variety, 3 Jan. 2022, variety.com/2021/tv/news/network-ratings-2021-top-channels-1235143630/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
Spangler, Todd. “Surprise! 'Criminal Minds' Was 2021's Most-Streamed TV Show in the U.S.” Variety, Variety, 28 Jan. 2022, variety.com/2022/digital/news/most-streamed-tv-shows-movies-2021-criminal-minds-1235159626/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
“What Does the Future Hold for Linear Broadcasters? - BSG SA.” Better Software Group, Better Software Group, 17 Dec. 2021, www.bsgroup.eu/blog/future-of-linear-broadcasters/.
Kaitlyn Reilly
ReplyDeletePart 1
The consumption behavior of television is rapidly changing due to SVOD services becoming more fitting with consumer needs when it comes to entertainment streaming. People who are making the switch to cancel their cable/satellite subscriptions are labeled as “cord-cutters” (Nick G.). These cord-cutters now put their television needs in the hands of the SVOD services. Broadcasting and cable networks mostly obtain the attention of older generations. 90% of Americans aged 25-34 and 87% of Americans aged 18-24 prefer television content through internet providers (Nick G.).
Companies such as AT&T, Comcast, Charter, Cox, and Altice are some of the major legacy TV suppliers. On a cumulative level, all of the legacy TV providers hold 85.3 million subscribers (Nick G.). Compared to streaming services, Netflix alone has 221.84 million subscribers reported in Q4 of 2021 (Stoll). This statistic just shows the quantity and pace the TV industry is moving towards anti-cable and broadcasting habits when it comes to entertainment consumption.
Linear broadcasting and cable networks recognize this declining switch since their fourth-quarter earnings have clearly shown they are not up to bat with internet TV’s numbers. To compete with this, broadcasting and cable networks have tried trimming down the price of their TV package bundles (Bridge). Although the real determining factor is broadcasters and cable companies retaining the sport-centered audience (Gardner). Several broadcasting companies are going after Sports Fans Coalition NY which holds the streaming over-the-air television station app Locast (Gardner). Claiming that Locast is violating copyright acts is the defining drive for broadcasting companies to hold their status in the television industry. With Locast around, consumers have another method to watch NFL games without having a hefty cable or satellite subscription (Gardner).
Kaitlyn Reilly
ReplyDeletePart 2
Besides the sports enthusiasts and older generations that are comfortable with their television packages, cable and broadcasting companies are missing the younger audience. When I was a child growing up in this digitally acclimated society, my generation was drawn to the kids' content on networks such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, etc. Today, there is a large drop-off in children's television viewing since most of the highly sought-after content is now only viewable on streaming platforms (Bridge). Especially since parents like having their children shown less to advertisements and that the new exciting content their child desires to watch is exclusively on specific streaming platforms (Bridge).
In the next 3-5 years, I expect the TV industry to look much different than it does currently. Linear broadcasting and cable networks still have meaningful content such as sports and newscasting. Although when it comes to price-efficient, optimized content, and accessibility streaming is on the way to taking over consumers' television habits. As time goes on cord trimmers will turn to cord-cutters making original TV networks embarrassed to announce their quarter numbers publicly. To keep up with the competition, cable networks need to focus on retaining younger audiences. This could be done by focusing more on children's content. Doing this might just be the only way for broadcasting and cable networks to survive in this fight against SVOD platforms. Grasping the attention of younger generations who are growing up more digitized than their parents is crucial for these networks to still hold an audience rating.
Works Cited:
Bridge, Gavin (2021, December 30). Fading Ratings: Viewership Declines in Key Cable Genres. Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://variety.com/vip/fading-ratings-viewership-declines-in-key-cable-genres-1235144463/
G, Nick (2021, November 1). 19 Cord Cutting Statistics and Trends in 2021 [The Dusk Of TV Is Here]. Tech Jury. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://techjury.net/blog/cord-cutting-statistics/#gref
Gardner, Eriq (2021, July 16). How Live Sports Is Propping Up Broadcast and Cable. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/live-sports-broadcast-cable-1234982064/
Stoll, Julia (2022, January 21). Number of Netflix paid subscribers worldwide from 3rd quarter 2011 to 2nd quarter 2020. Statistica. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/
With streaming services becoming increasingly popular, broadcast and cable television are having a hard time staying relevant. While cable television providers are trying their best to keep their audiences from plummeting, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that they do not lose all of their subscriptions to SVOD. According to Fast Company, “the number of paid US TV subscriptions has dropped by 2.7 million in the last few years,” (Nick G). Cable television will only continue to see this decline as the younger generations begin to grow. “Cord-cutter” statistics, also known as people who have decided to cancel their satellite subscription, serve as proof of this rapid decline as “90% of young people prefer this method” and “among the younger segment of viewers, those aged 18-24, the percentage is similar: 87% opt for internet access,” (Nick G). Some cable networks such as Disney and Nickelodeon have begun to adapt to the rapid change in media consumption with their own streaming services. Additionally, award shows which used to dominate at the top of viewership charts, have tanked over the last couple of years. Whether this can be attributed to the necessity of accepting awards over zoom or the culture shock of sitting through grueling scripted skits instead of watching artists perform is undecided. Variety reports that “February’s Golden Globes bombed 62.3% compared with the previous year’s show; in March, the Grammys nosedived 53% compared with 2020; and then the Oscars in April spiraled downward 58% compared with last year,” (Schneider and Zorrilla). However, one of the aspects keeping cable television relevant is sports. While sports networks continue to remain steady in viewership, we could quickly see this change in the future as streaming services like Hulu and Disney Plus offer cable subscriptions and access to ESPN. Despite the downside of losing viewers, partnering with streaming services to offer cable access is also one of the ways that these networks are staying relevant. As the younger generations are becoming less likely to pay for a full cable subscription or even a subscription at all, having these bundles will keep them exposed to live television and will keep the network’s viewership up. While there are many downsides to satellite television plummeting, “there are also new opportunities to take advantage of, like the vast potential of online video advertisement space, or previous strengths to be leveraged such as brand image and content reputation, that have been built over decades of know-how entertaining their audience,” (Wetek). I think that in 3-5 years it is safe to say that streaming services will definitely become the norm, especially as we start to see the older generations trickle out. While gen z grew up with technology, we were the last generation to witness what childhood was like without iphones or streaming services. As younger generations are being born, they are likely growing up without cable television and streaming services. I think the real question isn’t if streaming services will dominate satellite television, but if live television will be able to maintain their viewership at all.
ReplyDeleteSources:
Admin, et al. “The Broadcaster Problem: How to Stay Relevant in a Growing Online Video World.” WeTek, 18 May 2021, https://wetek.com/the-broadcaster-problem-and-how-to-stay-relevant-in-a-growing-online-video-world/.
G, Nick. “19 Cord Cutting Statistics and Trends in 2022 [the Dusk of TV Is Here].” Techjury, https://techjury.net/blog/cord-cutting-statistics/#gref.
Schneider, Michael, and Mónica Marie Zorrilla. “Top 100 Telecasts of 2021: 'NCIS,' 'Yellowstone,' NFL Dominate, as Oscars Fail to Make the Cut.” Variety, Variety, 4 Feb. 2022, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/top-rated-shows-2021-ncis-yellowstone-squid-game-1235143671/.
Nick Federico
ReplyDeleteIn today’s day in age, the time of cable television ruling the media landscape has come to a halt. With an abundance of popular streaming services now in the market, audiences are flocking to these platforms and “cutting cable”. This swing in viewership and trend in media consumption has left television companies panicking as they search for a remedy to this crisis. Despite their efforts, trends have continued to show that traditional cable TV viewership is declining as streaming services continue to tighten their grip on the market.
The lone bright spot that has continued to show promise for traditional cable television is live sports. Live broadcasted sports like football, baseball, and hockey, have always been huge staples in the market. They have played a vital role in keeping viewership alive up until this point. For example in 2021, sports led the top 8 spots on the top 100 telecasts list for the year. Events like the Super Bowl, Olympics and the World Series were the headliners of the list. All the while, major award shows such as the Academy Awards struggled dramatically in terms of viewership. (Schneider,2021). These struggles were unprecedented for the Academy Awards, which normally rank extremely high in cable television viewership charts. Many have attributed the viewership struggles to pandemic related issues such as virtual acceptance speeches, awkward set-up of ceremonies and lack of live performances.
As for the other forms of cable programming, there were few that garnered any substantial success over the duration of 2021. The top 100 list had a couple standouts in the scripted television category, with the likes of “NCIS” and “The Equalizer” on CBS. News also typically plays a huge factor in cultivating viewership for cable programming. However, this past year in 2021 there was not the abundance of media firestorm worthy content to air. This is a clear difference when in comparison to 2020’s bountiful amount of newsworthy stories. Major news outlets such as Fox and CNN, saw harsh declines in both ratings and concurrent viewership numbers over the past year. (Schneider, 2021). These findings have helped shed some light on the dire situation that is threatening the future of traditional cable television. With sports and only a handful of other series shows keeping viewers interested, the question remains how much longer will cable’s loyal viewers hang around before making “the switch”.
Although their backs are certainly against the wall in this new era of streaming, this is not to say that cable companies are going to just roll over and concede the battle. In fact, many cable networks have been working tirelessly to find solutions to get them back on pace with their streaming counterparts. For example, many cable networks have rolled out subscription plans to mimic that of other streaming services like Hulu. These plans contain a variety of popular channels, but not as many as traditional full cable TV packages. The incentive is that these packages contain most of the popular content, but at a fraction of the cost. Cable companies can also hope to see the continued rise in costs for the plethora of streaming services that are currently available. As more and more content is being produced and more monthly subscribers continue to roll in, these platforms prices have begun to continuously inch higher and higher to the point they might eventually mimic the price of cable television.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I do believe that cable still holds a place in the current media landscape and it will most likely continue to do so into the near future. With that being said, it is apparent that the majority of audiences have begun to make the switch to the more updated and cost-effective solution that streaming platforms provide. Cable companies will have their loyal customers, and can continue to rely on sports and news coverage as their anchors. However, at the end of the day the question looms of how much longer will these customers hold out? The data showing that Americans watching cable television has dropped from 75 to 56 percent is indicative of this crisis. (Davis, 2021) Without massive alterations to the outdated cable modem, the end may be near for traditional cable television.
Works Cited:
Davis, Kaleb. “Is Cable Television Being Replaced?” GlobalEDGE Blog: Is Cable Television Being Replaced? >> GlobalEDGE: Your Source for Global Business Knowledge, GlobalEDGE, 19 Oct. 2021, https://globaledge.msu.edu/blog/post/57035/is-cable-television-being-replaced#:~:text=Since%20the%20year%202015%2C%20the,such%20as%20Netflix%20and%20Hulu.
Schneider, Michael. “Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2021’s Winners and Losers.” Variety, Variety, 30 Dec. 2021, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/network-ratings-2021-top-channels-1235143630/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
Schneider, Michael, and Mónica Marie Zorrilla. “Top 100 Telecasts of 2021: ‘NCIS,’ ‘Yellowstone,’ NFL Dominate, as Oscars Fail to Make the Cut.” Variety, Variety, 29 Dec. 2021, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/top-rated-shows-2021-ncis-yellowstone-squid-game-1235143671/.
Annie Morrison
ReplyDeleteBlog 3
With streaming services taking over and completely changing the future of TV, cable networks are holding on for dear life, and doing what they can to keep their viewers engaged, interested, and most importantly, subscribed to their network. It is true that streaming has become more popular for a variety of reasons. Accessibility to shows in a nonlinear way is something that has never been seen in television before. It is difficult for cable networks to keep up with new and innovative streaming services that have so much to offer, like HULU Live, where subscribers have access to sports, and live shows, along with the entire Hulu streaming library, which shows little incentive for subscribers to stay with their cable networks. To compare cable and streaming, Comcast had 22.1 million subscribers in 2021, whereas Netflix had an astonishing 210 million subscribers, and as of 2021, only 56% of Americans watch cable TV. (Nick G) This goes to show that subscribers are looking to watch what they want, when they want, and traditional cable simply cannot offer that.
At a certain point, there will be a breaking point where people do not want to pay for an extensive amount of streaming services, and cable networks may be able to better support users’ needs by streamlining content on one platform, it may not necessarily be cable, but networks like comcast could branch out and create their own streaming service, or join a streaming service and provide content that way. Hulu Live is a great example of a streaming service that offers more than just streaming, there is also the option to watch cable without leaving Hulu. This may be the future of cable, where it is offered via streaming services so that users do not have to make the choice between cable and streaming, they can have it all in one place, which is both convenient and less expensive. The truth is, cable is still desired by watchers. News giants, which are widely viewed on cable, had a massive spike throughout the last election as well as the pandemic, (Gavin Bridge) demonstrating that there still is a need for cable, but again, are people going to keep it around just for news that they can access on the internet? Moreover, cable networks will need to strategize and decide how to move forward in the future so that they are not left in the dust my streaming giants like Netflix and Hulu.
19 cord cutting statistics and trends in 2022 [the dusk of TV is here]. Techjury. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://techjury.net/blog/cord-cutting-statistics/#gref
Bridge, G. (2021, December 30). Fading ratings: Viewership declines in key cable genres. Variety. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://variety.com/vip/fading-ratings-viewership-declines-in-key-cable-genres-1235144463/
Jacob Resnick
ReplyDeleteAmidst the seemingly never ending COVID-19 pandemic and the exponential growth of subscription video on demand (SVOD) services year-over-year, two things seem to be keeping traditional — “linear” — television networks alive: sports and politics. During an election year (2016, 2020, 2024, etc.) networks like MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN consistently find themselves at the top of the list among the most watched stations. Although non-election years typically cause those networks to drop around 30 percent of their viewers, they still remained among the leaders in 2021 (7th, 5th, and 11th, respectively; Schneider).
Sports are undoubtedly the biggest draw on linear television networks today. Three of the top four most watched channels — CBS, NBC, and FOX — bring in millions of viewers due to the NFL games that they broadcast each week. The fourth, ABC, holds the rights to the NBA Finals, while ESPN, checking in at number six, is all sports all the time. It’s easy to see how much the broadcast rights mean to the networks, just look at the obscene figures they shell out for them. “Under the current eight-year agreement, ESPN paid the NFL $1.9 billion each season. The rights fees for the three broadcast networks all expire in 2022. With the present nine-year agreement for Sunday games, Fox pays $1.2 billion, NBC $1.1 billion and CBS $1 billion per season. Additionally, Fox has a five-year agreement at $660 per annum to televise eleven Thursday night games” (Adgate).
While SVOD services have attempted to dive into the live sports game — Premier League soccer on Peacock, Champions League on Paramount Plus, to name a couple — it’s clear that linear television networks are willing to go to great lengths to retain the hundreds of millions of sports fans as their primary consumers. The tradition of sitting down on the couch and flipping on the big game has not gone out the window the way watching TV shows has. I’d guess that this has to do with the fact that “being in the know” with regards to what happened in a sports game is more important in the immediate aftermath than a regular TV show (with some exceptions).
ReplyDeleteGoing forward, it’s clear that linear TV networks are going to have to continue to invest in both the broadcast and streaming worlds. ESPN having its own SVOD service, ESPN+, is an example of a network dipping its toes into both arenas, and other companies are beginning to follow suit. “The move of [Chris] Wallace from Fox News to the CNN subscription service may tell you a bit of where things are headed, even if it’s a bit of the wild west right now in the measurement business” (Johnson). Linear TV isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but moves are being made by these companies to establish themselves as credible streaming players as well.
Works Cited
Adgate, Brad. “Expect TV Rights Fees for Sports to Soar.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 11 Nov. 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2020/11/11/expect-tv-rights-fees-for-sports-to-soar/.
Johnson, Ted. “A Look Back at 2021: Cable News Viewership Dropped - and There May Be More Disruption to Come (Analysis).” Deadline, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2021, https://deadline.com/2021/12/cable-news-ratings-2021-fox-cnn-1234899789/.
Schneider, Michael. “Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2021's Winners and Losers.” Variety, Variety, 3 Jan. 2022, https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/network-ratings-2021-top-channels-1235143630.