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: 11 responses
Linear broadcasting and cable networks have experienced a shift in their industry. “In the years since the industry has undergone seismic shifts, first with the rise of cable television and then the emergence of global streaming services” (Vourlias). This quote shows they have impacted the way we watch networks by edging out the tradition way of television. This created a revolution of how people consume media. But, these networks still need to attract and keep viewers as the competition is increasing. The Hollywood Reporter shows a great example, “For Disney (Disney+), WarnerMedia (HBO Max) and Comcast (Peacock), that means focusing on corporate synergy from across many of their respective linear networks and spending billions to reclaim their biggest hits that helped to feed the big red beast that is Netflix. Meanwhile, Apple (Apple TV+) will build up its own content library after spending billions on star-studded originals as it eschews the library backbone that many other services are turning to in order to have ample content to draw subscribers” (Goldberg). This shows how significant it is to express their own “brand”. For example, Disney Plus has a massive library. So it is important for them to continue to strategize to lean hard on its IP. Also, HBO Max has high-end premium television shows. So they have to continue to present that content that the viewers love. These efforts have made it easier to help with SVOD services. The users get hooked on a series or want to keep up with the series as episodes can come out weekly. It brings in the audience and keeps them hooked. The creative content and fan favorites continue to have viewers engaging. “It’s tough out there for a linear network. Even inside the major media conglomerates, the buzz is all about a company’s new digital platform, not its legacy channels. Which is a shame, as millions of Americans still watch TV the old-fashioned way: on TV” (Schneider). This quote shows it is still hard to continue to receive that audience viewing so they need to keep on expressing their voice.
ReplyDeleteIn 3-5 years I expect the TV industry to be completely consumed by streaming and broadcasting services. The Adweek article states, “The new year is likely to be even more significant, as two additional television titans break into the streaming space, the shakeout from consolidation continues, and the TV world aims to adapt to an ever-changing business climate” (Sutton, Lynch). This shows how strongly streaming services are changing the way we watch our shows. Television industry is continuing to grow and developing more content to make streaming easier for us. It’s a way of life, we are starting to adapt to. The article connects to this by sharing, “With the arrival of new streaming services, new ad formats and a wealth of boundary-pushing programming, 2019 was a monumental year for the television industry” (Sutton, Lynch). It is now 2020 and networks are continuing to reach even broader audiences. I am looking forward to see how it impacts our society even more.
Works Cited
Goldberg, Lesley. “Peak Streaming TV: The Upsides and Challenges for the Four New Services.” The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/peak-streaming-tv-upsides-challenges-four-new-services-1251054?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-10-30 07:15:10_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Lynch, Jason, and Kelsey Sutton. “The TV Industry's Biggest Challenges in 2020.” Adweek, Adweek, 30 Dec. 2019, www.adweek.com/tv-video/whats-the-tv-industrys-biggest-challenge-in-2020-18-top-execs-weigh-in/.
Schneider, Michael. “Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2019's Winners and Losers.” Variety, 26 Dec. 2019, variety.com/2019/tv/news/network-ratings-top-channels-fox-news-espn-cnn-cbs-nbc-abc-1203440870/.
Vourlias, Christopher. “Lionsgate TV Chairman Kevin Beggs on Streamers and TV's 'Platinum Era'.” Variety, 19 Oct. 2019, variety.com/2019/tv/news/lionsgate-tv-kevin-beggs-mia-1203376382/.
Joe Zukauskas
ReplyDeleteIn this weeks readings we read all about ratings of many different broadcasting networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, and many more. Ratings for broadcast TV are what drive the market and give a clear picture of whether networks are succeeding or failing with their shows and programs. In the readings it gave numerous different examples showing many different types of ratings and many different times. It was very interesting to see how this all fluctuates as time changes. There was many very surprising things and many things that were exactly as expected. For example, I was very surprised that CBS was ranked number one in the current midpoint ratings. In the readings it said, “Although it remains No. 1 in viewers, CBS is down by the largest percentage in viewers vs. the same time in 2019, falling 11 percent from 8.83 million. NBC is down 8.5 percent from 8.08 million, and ABC has lost a scant 2 percent vs. this time last year. Univision (off less than 1 percent) and Telemundo (down 5 percent) are fairly steady, while The CW has lost a quarter of a million linear viewers year to year, a drop of 18.5 percent.” (Porter). This is very interesting to me because it is very confusing that CBS was able to lose viewers by the largest percentage, but still remain number one in the ratings. However, I do understand how CBS has the most viewers because they have so much IP, which is why they have been able to compete with SVOD services. With younger views SVOD services are taking over and broadcast TV is becoming outdated. I think with CBS’ mass amounts of IP it needs to create a subscription based streaming service that allows them to compete with some of these other services. I also think it is crucial for them to not rely on as much of their old content, but to build new media or update off of older media in order to attract the younger viewers. This is possible with a streaming service because they could make spin off series or extend older TV series and adapt them to modern times. In the readings when discussing young viewers it says, “But the streaming world is where viewers — particularly the younger ones — are flocking, and this year’s ranker of most-watched TV networks demonstrates that. The traditional networks that are heavily invested in live sports and news, two types of programming not easily replicated on a streaming platform, are holding steady. As 2019 draws to a close, most of the linear networks devoted to younger audiences continue to face double-digit year-over-year declines. Variety has obtained a ranker of how the linear broadcast, cable and pay TV networks performed in 2019. Here are some of the notable highs and lows of 2019.”(Schneider). These stats just prove that streaming has almost taken over and is continuing to rise. I think in the next 3-5 years streaming will completely take over and broadcast TV will become virtually obsolete. The numbers in the ratings have shown the steady decline of broadcast TV and an incline in streaming. I think within the next 5 years almost all of the TV we consume will be streaming based.
Joe Zukauskas part 2
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Porter, Rick. CBS, Fox Lead Network Ratings Race At 2019-20'S Midpoint. 2020, https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/5df1cdd432f98/4146908?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27CBS%252C%2520Fox%2520Lead%2520Network%2520Ratings%2520Race%2520at%25202019-20%2527s%2520Midpoint.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20200210T183439Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21599&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PLTYPZRQMY%2F20200210%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=d761621b946386d36c17543630282de956af43c97181c3aa7b459339c3670ebd. Accessed 11 Feb 2020.
Schneider, Micheal. Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2019’S Winners And Losers. 2020, https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/5df1cdd432f98/4147047?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Most-Watched%2520Television%2520Networks%2520-%2520Ranking%25202019%25E2%2580%2599s%2520Winners%2520and%2520Losers.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20200210T183431Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PLTYPZRQMY%2F20200210%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=e3a7a5cb79ec28aaba2fc9e82f8c7ffb9b270bee018d18516b42908c5eccb0fc. Accessed 11 Feb 2020.
John McMahon
ReplyDeleteBlog 3
In today’s media climate, broadcasting and cable networks are doing anything and everything to keep up with streaming platforms popularity. That being said, the pressure to create content that people will enjoy that is not necessarily available all at once is incredibly high.
A great example of what cable and broadcasting networks are doing to compete with streamers and other premium content companies are giving their shows “time to breathe,” so to say in terms of looking at ratings. ABC for example, is partaking in this practice by letting shows like “Stumptown” have a chance to gain traction by not paying attention to its live/same day ratings. In a memo by ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said “This move aligns us with how we evaluate the comprehensive performance of our shows, how we monetize our business and how our audience chooses to consume our content. People used to plan their lives around television, now they plan television around their lives” (Thorne, 1). Burke is referring the idea that instead of looking at the viewership metrics for the same day/live viewership, the popularity of the show is better reflected in the live +3 day ratings (ratings of when the show was live up to three days afterwards), live + 7 day ratings, and multiplatform ratings (watching online, streaming, etc.). As a result, “Stumptown” has been “more than doubling its rating on average after three days of delayed viewing,” therefore garnering more attention and lessening the threat of it getting cancelled (Barsanti, 1).
Another method cable and broadcasting companies are using to attract and keep viewers is to create “skinnier” plans, so to say. Cable companies like Cox have plans that “costs around $35 per month, and Charter has a $45-per-month Spectrum Select plan that serves up about 125 channels”, which is comparable to paying for streaming TV plans which go for around the same price (Willcox, 1). Even more simply put, cable companies just aren’t changing. Most cable companies provide a cable and internet plan and have a convenient payment method to pay for both at the same time, not to mention this is something that many consumers are used to doing to begin with as they have grown up with cable.
Realistically, I think cable and broadcasting networks will soon meld together into pseudo-partnerships in 3-5 years’ time. For example, right now, much of FX’s new series “are premiering on Hulu first,” and HBO will become a “major pillar of WarnerMedia’s HBOMax service” (Schneider, 1). As ownerships of intellectual properties and rights begin to fall under the same umbrella, cable properties as well as streaming services will follow this strange marriage model and have content premiere across both streaming and traditional cable platforms.
Works Cited
Barsanti, Sam. “ABC to Stop Paying Attention to Live Ratings, Giving Smaller Shows a Chance to Survive.” News, News, 12 Nov. 2019, news.avclub.com/abc-to-stop-paying-attention-to-live-ratings-giving-sm-1839790298?rev=1573530955688&utm_content=Main&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SF&fbclid=IwAR2r35K-rtC5gRDIanTqQ8242ExjFVyoJy36woIAoguKzuwvTx9aT6flVJg.
Schneider, Michael. “Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2019's Winners and Losers.” Variety, 26 Dec. 2019, variety.com/2019/tv/news/network-ratings-top-channels-fox-news-espn-cnn-cbs-nbc-abc-1203440870/.
Thorne, Will. “ABC to Stop Using Live+Same Day Ratings.” Variety, 11 Nov. 2019, variety.com/2019/tv/news/abc-live-same-day-ratings-1203401162/.
Willcox, James K. “Cable vs. Streaming Live TV Services: Which Should You Choose?” Consumer Reports, www.consumerreports.org/tv-service/cable-vs-streaming-live-tv-services/.
The number of people that are choosing to work with cable networks and Linear broadcasting has been on the decline lately ever since SVOD services (Streaming Video on Demand) were introduced. Why pay $30+ to watch TV or be limited to watching something the same day it airs in order to watch something when you could pay $12.99 a month for a Disney+ subscription that includes the same shows and gives you the power to watch it whenever you want.
ReplyDeleteIn order to compete with SVOD services, linear broadcasting and cable networks have been trying to show that they still have value whether that is through their ratings for their popular shows, hosting big events such as the Oscars, Grammys or Super Bowl and their ability to help people broaden what they watch.
According to Deadline.com, CBS, one of the oldest broadcasting networks, had the
“Country’s most watched broadcast network in primetime, making it 11 consecutive seasons on top” which would mean that there are still lots of people watching traditional TV (Moraes 2020). One of the prime reasons for that was because of their most watched scripted-series, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ which had a “historic 12-year run...and still managed to bring in 17.31M viewers in the 2018-2019 season rankings” (Moraes 2020). NCIS, Sunday Night Football, This is Us and many other programming still manage to bring in over 10M viewers. This means that there is still an audience for these shows and as long as these shows are still running, people will continue to watch and support.
To attract new viewers, linear broadcasting and cable networks have also been trying to diversify the shows they air instead of just relying heavily on the super fans of particular shows like Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS. According to Sam Barsanti on the AV Club, she claims that “[ABC] has decided to stop using “Live+Same Day” ratings...to judge how well a show is doing...Instead, ABC will measure these things on a longer timeline, from three days after airing to seven days after airing and “all the way to Multiplatform 35-day” (Barsanti 2020). This is particularly good because it gives newer shows a real chance to show if they actually have an audience and if so, where. New shows attract new viewers and can help change up the content that viewers see, similar to that of an SVOD service like Netflix that has so much content to choose from.
According to bsgroup.eu, the only major challenge that linear broadcasting and cable networks face is that “We no longer have the patience to wait for a new episode of the favorite show when SVOD services allow to binge the entire season in one sitting” (bsgroup 2020). However, they do make an argument for the other side saying that “While consumers love the choice, they can quickly get overwhelmed with abundance” which although it might be true, it would probably apply most to the older demographic (bsgroup 2020).
Overall, In 3-5 years, I expect the TV industry to still have linear broadcasting and cable networks because there is still a generation that still enjoys watching shows the moment they air and those that would prefer to not pay anything (using an antenna). A lot of baby boomers have yet to make the switch to SVOD services simply for liking routine and the simplicity of just turning on the TV at a certain time and watching the programming they enjoy most. There is also the fact that when there is so much content, it is hard for SVOD services to focus on what is actually successful and even then, they lose a lot more money with trying to invest in multiple ideas. This is different with linear broadcasting where about 1-2 shows are introduced every year. Lastly, as long as linear broadcasting and cable networks have control of airing award shows and special events as well as the Super Bowl, they will be able to somewhat hold their own in the streaming world even with the loss of some people.
Works Cited
DeleteBarsanti, Sam. “ABC to Stop Paying Attention to Live Ratings, Giving Smaller Shows a Chance to Survive.” News, News, 12 Nov. 2019, news.avclub.com/abc-to-stop-paying-attention-to-live-ratings-giving-sm-1839790298?rev=1573530955688&utm_content=Main&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SF&fbclid=IwAR2r35K-rtC5gRDIanTqQ8242ExjFVyoJy36woIAoguKzuwvTx9aT6flVJg.
Beata. “What Does the Future Hold for Linear TV? Is It All Lost?” Better Software Group S. A., 22 Oct. 2019, bsgroup.eu/future-of-linear-broadcasters.
Moraes, Lisa de. “2018-19 TV Season Ratings: CBS Wraps 11th Season At No. 1 In Total Viewers, NBC Tops Demo; 'Big Bang Theory' Most Watched Series.” Deadline, 22 May 2019, deadline.com/2019/05/tv-ratings-2018-2019-season-totals-viewers-demo-cbs-nbc-1202620062/.
Blog 3
ReplyDeleteLinear broadcasting and cable networks are fighting to stand out to attract and keep viewers by creating new content, establishing new streaming services, and calculating their ratings several weeks out to give viewers a chance to watch their content on their own time.
Linear broadcasting and cable networks are bundling with other networks to keep and attract new viewers like Disney +, HULU, and ESPN. There are so many streaming platforms to choose from and at times may confuse viewers as to what can be found in each streaming library. NBC’s Peacock will have favorites like “The Office” but not have “Friends” which will go to HBO Max (Digg.Com). Network streaming platforms also have to compete with heavily popular streaming services like Netflix, however they are pulling away by taking back their own IPs from Netflix.
CBS created “Young Sheldon” spinoff to replace fan favorite “The Big Bang Theory” and HBO created new shows “Succession”, “Euphoria” and “Watchmen” to keep viewers who loved “Game of Thrones”, “Veep”, and “Silicon Valley” (Schneider). Other networks have kept shows that do well including “NCIS”, “America’s Got Talent”, and “This is Us”. Fox brought in viewers with a remake of South Korean music game show “The Masked Singer” (Moraes).
Networks are also realizing viewers are not watching shows typically when they air unless it is a live sports or special awards shows. Networks are finding, “based on digital numbers provided by some networks, their shows may receive as much as half their audience over five weeks from streaming: The season premiere of This Is Us added 5 million viewers via digital vs. its 35-day linear audience. Grey's Anatomy grew by 6 million thanks to digital viewing, and more than doubled its 35-day, TV-only rating in adults 18-49. The majority of the audience for Fox's animated comedies watches on other platforms” (Porter). Just as we discussed in class viewers are watching when it is convenient for themselves to watch their favorite shows and not when it is on television live. Personally, I typically do not watch live tv because I don’t like to watch the commercials. I generally watch my favorite shows ONDemand or streamed on Roku because I can skip most ads. My viewing status matches the digital data numbers that networks are reporting.
In 3-5 years, I fully expect more streaming platforms bundled together to target different demographics. Networks that report increasingly low numbers like MTV and CW will have to create new scripted shows because reality tv has started to run out its shelf life. I enjoy some reality tv only for the train wreck personalities but not for the obviously over produced shows. Broadcast television will be more digital maybe marketing some shows as online only to create viewers and profit.
The way we consume television content has shifted and Networks see the change in Nielsen reporting data, and they have to change along with viewers or risk losing them.
There Are Too Many Streaming Services. Which Ones Are Worth Your Money? - Digg. https://digg.com/2019/disney-plus-worth-it-netflix-hulu-hbo. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/network-ratings-top-channels-fox-news-espn-cnn-cbs-nbc-abc- 1203440870/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-winners-losers-2019- 1264932?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%20Today%20in%20 Entertainment_2019-12-30%2007:11:00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie
Brett DiSalvo
ReplyDeleteFrom this week’s readings, I was able to learn about some of the different strategies that linear broadcasting as well as cable networks are using in order to keep viewers. While cable television is still very much relevant, streaming services are taking the media industry in a new direction. With all of the streaming services coming out as of late it was my surprise just how many viewers cable can still attract. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there is not a whole lot of growth going on in cable television. For example, Rick Porter pointed on that, “Although it remains No. 1 in viewers, CBS is down by the largest percentage in viewers vs. the same time in 2019, falling 11 percent from 8.83 million. NBC is down 8.5 percent from 8.08 million, and ABC has lost a scant 2 percent vs. this time last year. Univision (off less than 1 percent) and Telemundo (down 5 percent) are fairly steady, while The CW has lost a quarter of a million linear viewers year to year, a drop of 18.5 percent.” This stat to me says so much. What I think we are seeing here is the decline of popularity in cable television as more and more streaming service options become available. There are definitely efforts being made in order to keep viewers but I really don’t personally see that many reasons why everyone won’t be cutting the cord in the near future.
When I think about the future of media and television, I think that streaming services will completely take over and it is just a matter of time. With the way things have been going I myself have cut the cord. I can get everything I want to watch for the most part by streaming it so I inevitably end up watching little to no cable television. One reason why I think this to be true is because of the facts pointed out by Nellie Andreeva and Ted Johnson. In an article, they explain just how much the Disney Channel, a former number two basic cable network, has declined in viewership year after year. It was explained that these linear rating declines in directly correlated with streaming services, specifically Disney Plus. “the Disney Channel library is among the most popular content on the new Disney+ platform, and Disney Channel produces original series for the new Disney streamer including a High School Musical show.” This is a quote from that same article that justifies why I think the future of the television media industry is streaming services. I say this because this is a prime example of a major television network, that has for years dominate the cable rankings, create their own streaming service and begun to develop new content that will only be available on the Disney Plus streaming service. I think that the direction of television is clearly going in a direction that is not cable TV.
Works Cited
Pallotta, Frank. “Super Bowl LIV Averaged 102 Million Viewers.” CNN, Cable News Network, 3 Feb. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/02/03/media/super-bowl-2020-ratings/index.html.
Porter, Rick. “CBS, Fox Lead Network Ratings Race at 2019-20's Midpoint.” The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-fox-lead-network-ratings-race-at-2019-20s-midpoint-1274139.
Porter, Rick. “CBS, Fox Lead Network Ratings Race at 2019-20's Midpoint.” The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-fox-lead-network-ratings-race-at-2019-20s-midpoint-1274139.