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: 9 responses
“Overall, television in 2017 offered a bit of something for everybody, even in places we didn’t expect” (Nielson, 2017). Aside from popular belief, television consumption has actually not decreased. Sure it’s had its struggles but it’s not going away any time soon. As Neilson studies show, its not the fact that homes are watching T.V services less, but instead there is more than one media outlet that is being used at once (i.e. watching cable television while on your phone or tablet or laptop at the same time). Another trend that has been occurring which benefits the television industry is when “audiences… are able to enjoy some compelling content and watch what and when they wanted to via time-shifting” (Nielson, 2016).
ReplyDeleteEven looking back at least years television consumption studies is a good way to see how the industry is doing because it’s from a recent time. “Television in 2016 was all about court rooms, cat fights and comebacks” (Nielson 2016). Television definitely got a lot of viewership from major sports narratives where the audience wasn’t expecting the underdog to win as viewers were “witnesses to historic comebacks” (Nielson, 2016), for example the NBA Final game when the Cavaliers beat the Warriors. Other dominant television programs that attracted millions of viewers include the Super Bowl as well as the Olympics, the World Series and Award Shows. Television is still doing pretty well. In fact, “the number of original series’ on TV has increased by 87%” (Shapiro, 2018).
According to Tietjen, broadcast networks are trying to up their game with their strategic changes they are making, including, “adding more original hours, increasing their production costs, favoring in-house production, and introducing big stars”. There are is also talk of new deals forming from prime networks such as Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and the CW, to attract new audiences while keeping the ones that are already watching. The broadcast network is still a critical operator of revenue and profit. (Tietjen, 2015).
These are the many ways in which cable and broadcasting networks are doing right, especially in a tough time like now where SVOD trying to take over. SVOD networks may be thinking highly about themselves but they are still highly flawed.
For example, Netflix ‘created a monster’ within their company. One of its problems is that they don’t showcase their network enough using commercials to spark the audiences’ interest. They have too many new shows coming out all at once instead of “showcasing each one” (McLeavy, 2018). Basically, Netflix is releasing too many shows at once with their model of over excessive amount of (constant) content as well as revealing too information about their shows too early that the audience is left with almost or no shocking surprises.
This flawed system gives new Netflix shows, such as Altered Carbon (as well as other sci-fi shows and movies) little room to thrive. Netflix leaves no room for the newly released shows to prosper by getting the publicity they need in order to do well and get better viewership. McLevy relates this situation to the film industry, and how it is the exact reason why studios don’t release more than one movie in the same weekend, leaving a space for it to grow. Instead, Netflix is “sacrificing awareness of numerous other programs on the altar of carefully selected blockbusters” (McLeavy, 2018).
ReplyDeleteIn three to five years, I expect the television industry (broadcast/cable) to continue upping their game and maintain their status with their high viewership of major yearly television programs, such as jaw-dropping sports events, award shows and the all-around exciting Olympics. My advice would be to keep doing what they are doing. Studies show that people still like their basic cable. Whether you have a generational bias or not, there are still more viewers than you think and it is not going away any-time soon. As for the fresh, new streaming industries such as Netflix , Hulu, etc.… well you’re in trouble.
McLevy, Alex. "Netflix Created a Monster with Its Cloverfield Stunt, and Altered Carbon Won’t Be the Last Victim," AV Club 8 Feb. 2018. Web
Shapiro, Evan. "How Peak TV Arms Race Is Shaping the Way We Make, Sell and Watch," The Wrap 6 Feb. 2018. Web.
"Tops of 2017 - TV and Social Media." Nielsen. 18 Dec. 2017. Web.
"Tops of 2016 - TV." Nielsen 13 Dec. 2016. Web
Tietjen, Denali. “Content Wars: How Television Networks are Fighting the Netflix Threat” Forbes. 9 Jun. 2015.
In recent years as streaming video on demand has increased in popularity and access, broadcast and cable networks have had to adjust to the changing platforms of viewers. As a result broadcasting and cable networks have had to find new solutions to attract and keep viewers. Many of these ideas have enabled them to compete with SVOD services and in some cases become part of the SVOD platform.
ReplyDeleteIn his Goodman’s article Critic’s Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast networks?, the author argues that broadcast is not going anywhere but changing. The change he is describing is a multi-platform approach to reaching audience members. This approach involves producing weekly content as well as streaming services. Goodman states "I don't think the broadcasting narrative should be linear versus digital anymore, but rather linear plus digital.” By combining these two mediums networks can acquire more viewers instead of limiting themselves to television viewers and streaming viewers.
Another method that broadcast and cable networks are using to stay alive in the new industry is careful use of resources. As Evan Shapiro explains in his article, How Peak TV Arms Race Is Shaping the Way We Make, Sell and Watch, that there are “many talented producers and artists out there who do more with less.” More specifically he explains it is important for networks to give new actors and actresses a chance to create content instead of spending money on a big name. It is also recommended for companies to measure the cost of programming per hour, per viewer. This also companies to make sure they are spending wisely attempting to attract viewers. This budgeting practice has led to success for major networks such as CNN, PBS, and HGTV (Shapiro).
Some more ways that larger broadcast and cable networks are combating streaming services are described in 9 Ways Networks and Streaming Rivals Are Fighting Back Against Netflix This Year. One method used is for large companies to merge with another conglomerate like Fox did with Disney (Lynch). This is done in order to maximize their viewers by joining with a company like Disney, which is creating their own streaming services including Disney’s popular franchises. In addition Lynch mentions the importance of decreasing budgets by not bidding unreasonably to the rights for certain shows. The saved money can be invested in the quality of the show and may allow for the company to allow for free services like Sony Crackle does (Lynch). Another thing that broadcast and cable companies do is produce franchise/spinoffs of their popular shows to keep audience members who have shown loyalty to a certain show. Lynch states, that this is true in broadcast and cable shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Walking Dead. Another appeal of cable and broadcast programming is they have the ability to offer their show on a weekly basis (Lynch). This help keep maintain the excitement of a certain program instead of being lost in a streaming service full of other shows (Lynch).
I believe in three to five years broadcast and cable television will not be trumped by streaming services but instead will continue to grow and coexist with those services, especially as traditional networks move content onto steaming services. Lastly, the large network broadcast companies still make large profits by having exclusive rights to various sporting events (Super Bowl and Olympics). This is a revenue source most streaming services have yet to be able to capitalize on. I think that in the future both of these services will continue to play a large role in creating content and attracting viewers but that neither one will be able to push the other out.
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter,
Delete4 Aug. 2017,
www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networ
ks-1026912.
Jasonlynch. “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-bac
k-against-netfl x-this-year/.
Staff, Wrap. “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/.
ReplyDeleteIn recent years streaming video on demand has become extremely popular due to the fact of streaming services growing in popularity. This business, Netflix, Amazon Video and Hulu, have hurt the growth of cable television and the term of "cord cutting" has come about when referring to canceling your cable subscription and only using streaming services for your television consumption. Broadcast and cable networks have come up with ways to try and combat this change in the media world, so they don't lose as much business to "cord cutters." In the Forbes article, you see the author give a few ways they are combatting the SVOD services. She says the following "More original hours," "In-House production" and "Bigger is Better"(Tietjen) are some of the ways they are competing with streaming services in today's media world. Having more original content hours by producing more TV shows and showing fewer reruns on their channels. For the in-house production for the various networks, they are starting to make the presentations entirely themselves and not using other studios for the creation of their content, even though this comes with the much higher risk I funding their shows entirely. When she speaks about Bigger is better, the networks are spending much more on film sets, more actors and more money used for special effects. All of this is to get more people watching the shows they put out.
In regards to how these efforts are have helped them compete against SVOD services, you can see in the Hollywood Reporter Article the Statistics for the networks Orginal scripted series (Goldberg). The increase in original scripted shows created by the network increased keeping the volume of broadcast TV shows is steady even though the SVOD companies have surged recently. The growth of original content has made the value of each network more considering the fact they will only show that content on their channel.
In the next 3-5 years, I can see some things happening in the media. The SVOD companies will start to come out with higher quality movies and show if they continue to spend billions on the production on their various shows or movies. I also see Apple becoming a significant player in the media business. They have the capital to take over the industry. No other SVOD service has the funding they have, and that will stay the same for the foreseeable future. As for broadcast, I think they really will rely on sports television games to broadcast to keep the value of their network. As you can see in the article, Major sports game are the most viewed TV events. They merely dominate everything else that is on television (Porter). This relationship that broadcast networks have with important sports games helps them stay popular verses other SVOD services.
Goldberg, Lesley. “Scripted Originals Hit Another Record High in 2017.” Hollywood Reporter, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/scripted-originals-hit-record-high-2017-1071899.
Porter, Rick. “The 100 Highest-Rated TV Programs of 2017: 60% Sports, 40% Everything Else.” TV By The Numbers by zap2it.Com, 3 Jan. 2018, tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-100-highest-rated-tv-programs-of-2017-60-sports-40-everything-else/.
Tietjen, Denali. “Content Wars: How Television Networks Are Fighting The Netflix Threat.” Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/denalitietjen/2015/06/09/content-wars-how-television-networks-are-fighting-the-netflix-threat/#7e8be67c46f6.
The state of the TV industry is comparable to that of the wild west. Everything is rapidly expanding and changing as Tim Goodman would have it, “At this point in the daily earthquake world of the television industry, it's advisable to not look away for too long. You might not recognize the ground when you look back.” (Goodman, TV) Due to intense competition with SVOD services, cable TV networks are going to great lengths to attract and keep viewers. At the moment, the industry is extremely volatile.
ReplyDeleteAs Goodman explains in “Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?,” the widely accepted narrative for broadcasts networks was that as these networks sat by and did nothing while they’re antiquated business model which relied heavily on ads was being overtaken by sleeker subscription-based services which offered un-interrupted, and often higher-quality, television. (Goodman, Revenge) While this was the case for quite some time, many networks are starting to adjust by monetizing their digital platforms (Goodman, Revenge). After all, Disney is on the verge of launching an SVOD service and Hulu won an Oscar. (Goodman, TV) These are scary signs for traditional television networks.
As NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt said at the TCA Awards, “While we know that linear viewing is declining, delayed viewing and digital are not only keeping the broadcast business afloat, but actually going pretty strong.” (Goodman, Revenge)
Meanwhile, some smaller cable companies like The CW are also benefiting from their push to digital. According to The CW President Mark Pedowitz, “The one thing I am confident of is that, the way The CW is situated today as a multiplatform player, it's going to be around for a hell of a long time.”
If the advertising money continues to flow to these digital platforms, companies who have made the necessary adjustments may survive just yet. They may even thrive. According to an October Katz media group report, digital subchannels are outperforming top cable brands in audience coverage and household ratings. (Holloway).
According to Holloway’s article, “Katz found that the eight top networks available on digital subchannels — MeTV, Grit, Antenna TV, Laff, Escape, This TV, Bounce TV, and Create — were more widely available than leading cable channels such as Food Network, CNN, Discovery Channel, and TBS. The report also found that in Nielsen live-plus-seven household ratings, the top digital network, MeTV ranked 20th out of all cable and broadcast networks, ahead of cable channels such as A&E, FX, Lifetime, TLC, Bravo, and MTV.” (Holloway)
This is big news for companies like The CW who are widely available on digital platforms, but could be the nail in the coffin for cable and broadcast networks who lack a serious digital presence. If I were to hazard a guess in this chaotic media landscape in which FX and AMC are creating their own streaming services, (Goodman TV) it would be that other networks will follow suit or collapse and get bought out. Live broadcast will exist as only as a chance for viewers to see things live before episodes are stowed away in small networks’ digital SVODs or in digital subchannels. Rather than broadcast being the money-maker and digital being the afterthought, it will be the complete opposite. I would be willing to bet cable will be totally eclipsed by online streaming in less than 10 years. I would bet my life’s savings it’s gone in 20.
Goodman, Tim. "Has Anyone Noticed That the TV Industry Has Lost Its Shit Lately?" The Hollywood Reporter 15 Sept. 2017. Web.
DeleteCited as (Goodman, TV) in the blog
Goodman, Tim. "Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?" The Hollywood Reporter 4 Aug. 2017. Web.
Cited as (Goodman, Revenge)
Holloway, Daniel. “Digital Subchannels Outperform Cable Competitors, Report Finds.” Variety, 2 Oct. 2017, variety.com/2017/tv/news/digital-subchannels-1202578117/. Web.
With the rise of new technology and increase in media productivity, the demand for entertainment is at an all-time high. Media is embedded into our daily routine for multiple reasons accessible through multiple platforms. According to AdWeek, “U.S. adults spent 10 hours, 39 minutes a day consuming media in the first quarter of 2016. That's up a full hour from the first quarter of 2015, and it's thanks to a substantial increase in smartphone and tablet usage, according to Nielsen's Q1 2016 Total Audience Report”(Lynch). Media companies rely on their viewers for revenue, and consumers rely on media companies to provide an escape from reality. This interdependent relationship is constantly changing the way media is created, consumed, and reacted to.
ReplyDeleteCable, broadcast, and SVOD services are in fierce competition with one another to provide the best service while creating superior content. Viewership and ratings are the lifeblood of cable and broadcast television and with the new “cord-cutting” trend, they are facing severe challenges. According to Bond and Szalai (2017) in The Hollywood Reporter, “Indeed, cable will remain challenged as long as consumers are cutting the cord on their subscriptions and defecting to streaming services like Amazon and Netflix. By the end of the year, more than 22 million Americans will have already done so, according to eMarketer.”
This high stake competition has sparked a surge of creativity. Consumers are not only demanding more content, but they are also expecting better content. Run-of-the-mill hospital drama shows aren’t going to cut it anymore- people want something new and different to invest their time in. A major limitation for some companies right now is that they have a significantly smaller budget than their competitors. The budget of a cable Television network cannot even compare to that of their SVOD counterparts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Netflix is expected to continue to spend upward of $7 billion on originals, Amazon another $4.5 billion and Hulu an estimated $1 billion, with tech giant Apple also joining the fray last year”(Goldberg). Spending a hefty amount of money on a show that flops is a risk most cable and broadcast networks cannot take.
Cable TV has shown us that despite their limitations they are able to stay afloat. For example, the award winning show This is Us is exactly the kind of series that audiences crave. In addition, these networks have changed stacking rights in order to take power away from SVOD services. According to The Daily Dot, “Shows that are stacked are no longer exclusive to Netflix and less attractive to subscribers. Why subscribe to Netflix to watch Mad Men and Breaking Bad when you could watch the entire season for free somewhere else?”(Khalid). This tactic is a way to keep consumers from cutting their cords. Although this strategy won’t be their saving solution, it will certainly buy them some time to come up with their next course of action.
In the foreseeable future, broadcast and cable TV are inevitably going to be on a slow decline. Their only chance at keeping up with SVOD is by using the stacking rights to weaken the alternative services. In the meantime, they should focus heavily on the shows they are creating because that is where the consumer’s loyalties lie. SVOD services have the upper hand all around because of their adaptability and large budgets for creating content, which allows them to take risks. Regardless, the next few years will either make or break broadcast and cable TV, it all depends if they play their cards right.
Bond, Paul and Georg Szalai. “How Viacom Is Emerging From Its Reorganization.” The Hollywood Reporter. 30 Oct. 2017.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-viacom-is-emerging-reorganization-1052670
Goldberg, Lesley. “Viacom's TV Strategy Emerges – Fewer Scripted Series as Networks Rebrand.” The Hollywood Reporter. 20 Nov. 2017.
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%20Today%20in%20Entertainment_now_2017-11-20%2007:07:35_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie
Khalid, Amrita.“What is stacking, and how will it change the way we binge-watch?” The Daily Dot. 23 Mar. 2016. https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/what-is-stacking/
Lynch, Jason. “U.S. Adults Consume an Entire Hour More of Media Per Day Than They Did Just Last Year.” AdWeek. 27 Jun. 2016.
http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/us-adults-consume-entire-hour-more-media-day-they-did-just-last-year-172218/
Over the past few years, we have seen streaming video on demand services rise while broadcasting and cable networks have been on the decline. “Cord cutting” has become a popular trend during this time. According to an article from Tech Crunch, it was estimated that there were 22.2 million people over the age of 18 that cut the cord at the end of 2017. That is a 33.2 percent increase compared to 2016 (Perez.) Perez goes on to explain, “by 2021, eMarketer says the number of cord cutters will nearly equal the number of cord-nevers with 40.1 million for the former, and 41 million for the latter.”
ReplyDeleteThere’s no question that broadcasting networks have been on the decline in recent years, but they are still making money. In the article, “Revenge of the Broadcast Networks,” the author 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 (Goodman.) While making money is important, these networks are also focused on attracting viewers and keeping them around. The article goes on to say, “Each platform reaches a different audience, and we want to get as many of them into the tent as possible. Furthermore, we're now reaching more younger people too because viewers on digital and over-the-top platforms are 20 years younger on average for us than those watching the network. … We're also monetizing virtually all of these platforms, too. I want to stay focused on viewership rather than monetization” (Goodman.)
Over the next 3-5 years, I do not expect TV industry to make a big leap. However, I do expect it to stay afloat. Primarily because of sports and other live entertainment. According to the article, “The 100 Most-Watched TV Programs of 2017: SuperBowl LI Laps the Field,” 29 of the top 30 most-watched programs of 2017 were either a sporting event or an awards show (Porter.) These kinds of live events are not available on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. These events can be streamed illegally on the internet, however, in my opinion, the two or so minute delay and the buffering is just not worth it. It is much more enjoyable to watch it live with everyone else, especially in this social media era where everyone is discussing what happens at these events online as soon as they happen. Speaking from experience, I cannot think of many things more frustrating than illegally streaming a sporting event online and reading tweets about what happened before I see it with my own eyes. That is why I now choose to only watch sporting events on live television. As long as live TV is the only way to watch these events in real time, I expect the TV industry to remain alive.
Perez, Sarah. “56.6 Million US Consumers to Go without Pay TV This Year, as Cord Cutting Accelerates.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 13 Sept. 2017, techcrunch.com/2017/09/13/56-6-million-u-s-consumers-to-go-without-pay-tv-this-year-as-cord-cutting-accelerates/.
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.
Porter, Rick. “The 100 Most-Watched TV Programs of 2017: Super Bowl LI Laps the Field.” TV by the Numbers, 28 Dec. 2017.
Broadcasting and cable networks are reframing their peak television scripted series in order to appease their audiences. With increased demand for online digital platforms and SVOD services, broadcasters are closely monitoring the how people are watching television. Peak TV usually means the time and the duration of when people are viewing television. However with more fragmentation and OTT services and skinny bundles, cable networks are cutting back on their scripted content. These efforts are put in the forefront in order to retain and attract more audiences since new tech media organizations like T-mobile, Apple, and Netflix are competing for viewers and original content. One huge change that cable has been doing is offering more DVR streaming boxes and time shifted options for the binge watchers and streaming obsessed audiences. Even Spotify is getting in on the action for students. If a college student has a Spotify account they get Hulu for free, and this should scare broadcasters who are trying to market to ages 18-35.
ReplyDeleteTim Goodman from "The Hollywood Reporter" said that quality of the programming was the key difference. Goodman says, “Cable programming and much of the offerings from streamers were of a higher artistic quality — more complicated, more ambitious, drawing in the best writers and actors and directors, acclaimed by critics and feted with awards that rarely went to broadcast series” (1). Content is going to be a key factor especially for struggling media broadcast companies like CBS and Viacom. Another Hollywood reporter, Georg Szalai also wrote about Discovery`s quizzical outlook about their programming and content strategy in this new digital media world. Discovery and Scripps have joined together to tackle the issue on ratings and programming, but has been stumped to figure out how to use the new merger to be a competitive brand. David Zaslay, Discovery executive, said “ ‘It's important to have quality channels that people like, but you need to have enough scale that you can be a meaningful piece of the conversation. … Scripps will help us’." ( Szalai 1). The broadcast industry needs to look towards more dispersible content that can translate on all screens and maybe even in audio books and mobile applications. I think the broadcasting/cable/ streaming industry may play into the technology companies. In four years, VR/AR technology may be combined with SVOD services in the ultimate immersion of media. We will be using this technology to interact with real time reality shows, celebrities and more. It is up to broadcasting to figure out if they still want to be players in the game. Colin Dixon from NScreenMedia already gives information about how Netflix Hulu and HBO are creating new VR/AR apps to give to their audiences to view and interact on virtual reality platforms. (p.1). This will certainly shake up the TV industry forever, and broadcast cant only depend on mergers and good content. They need to head to technology companies and software consultants to compete for audiences.
Works Cited
Dixon, Colin . “SVOD VR streaming still years away.” NScreenMedia, 23 Jan. 2017, www.nscreenmedia.com/svod-vr-streaming-services-years-away/.
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter , 4 Aug. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/will-be-a-revenge-broadcast-networks-1026912.
Szalai, Georg. “Discovery CEO: Scripted Content Is "Very Difficult Game" That Is "Not Us".” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter , 10 Jan. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-ceo-scripted-content-is-very-difficult-game-is-not-us-1072819.
I think that the number one thing that broadcasting and cable networks are doing to attract and keep viewers has been to not compete with VSOD services, but rather to provide content that is not being produced there. It is no insider secret that VSOD services provide a better viewing experience of scripted content, primarily dramas, than broadcast and cable providers do. There are countless reasons that the general public is very aware of including the ability to time shift, binging, etc. In NBC NEWS’s article, 2017 Emmy Awards: Hulu’s Big Win Spotlights Future of Digital, Alyssa Newcomb references principle analyst at eMarketer, Paul Verna, as saying, “I think there is more storytelling going on. It's just the delivery mechanism is changing.” Afterwards Newcomb makes the reader aware of the, “22.2 million Americans [who] will cut the cord on traditional cable and satellite services in favor of other ways to consume content, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV and Sling TV.” The large market of consumers looking for quality-scripted content, simply put, has migrated over to SVOD and premium cable in droves.
ReplyDeleteIn reaction to this cable and broadcast have opted to not compete with SVOD and premium cable and their superior viewing experiences for scripted content. Cable and Broadcast have become the land of the unscripted out of necessity. As the oldest television providing institutions the networks and cable are able to invest large amounts of their money into keeping professional sports so that sports fans cannot cut the cord entirely to leave. The old guard of TV is not only airing sports to differentiate themselves from the SVOD services, but also reality shows, competition shows, news and satire news, and various other forms of unscripted content. Viacom’s brands are a perfect example of this shifting view of the broadcast and cable landscape. In Lesley Goldberg’s Hollywood Reporter article, Viacom's TV Strategy Emerges – Fewer Scripted Series as Networks Rebrand, she writes, “CMT announced Nov. 17 that Nashville would end with its sixth season in 2018. That takes the network, which saw president Brian Philips exit in June after a 16-year run, out of the pricey scripted originals business. ‘I wouldn't rule out that there's going to be some scripted in the future, but at this point, we will go back to what CMT was before Nashville: an unscripted network that did well,’ says Kevin Kay, president of Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT. New unscripted pilots will be unveiled soon, as the network also mulls scripted music-themed biopics.”
The plan may be working too, as noted in Jon Lafyaette’s article, Reality Shows Seek Status in a VOD World, “the top 10 rated reality programs for the 2016-17 broadcast season garnered more than 66 million VOD transactions, up 26% from the prior broadcast season’s reality programs. The gain came as overall VOD transactions dipped 3% from the prior year.” So is the shift towards unscripted content going to sway viewers away from subscription services back towards traditional TV? Probably not. Though it is an intriguing statistic I would not start selling my Netflix stocks. The number of viewers cutting the cord is still significantly larger than those who are leaving subscription services, and I imagine growth in these services will go through ebbs and flows as do any sort of media services. I still see the streaming world growing more dominant in the television production landscape over the next 3-5 years.
Works Cited
DeleteGoldberg, Lesley. “Viacom's TV Strategy Emerges: Fewer Scripted Series as Networks Rebrand.” The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2017, 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%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_now_2017-11-20%2B07%3A07%3A35_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Lafayette, Jon. “Reality Shows Seek Status in a VOD World.” The Business of Television, 31 Oct. 2017, www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/reality-shows-seek-status-vod-world/169741.
Newcomb, Alyssa. “Hulu Made Internet Streaming History.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 18 Sept. 2017, www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/2017-emmy-awards-hulu-s-big-win-spotlights-future-digital-n801821.
While it’s death will be prolonged, any brand that ties itself to cable television will have to start thinking of methods on how to divest themselves from the medium, which is akin to a slowly sinking ship, and the proliferation and advancement of SVOD services like Netflix and Hulu are only bringing on more water. As Jason Lynch writes for Adweek, “in just five short years, Netflix has upended the industry, pouring unprecedented amounts of money into original content—it will spend as much as $8 billion this year—and driving the number of scripted series across the industry to record levels.” (Lynch) Media has become easily accessible and specifically designed to do so, with much of our media interfaces being provided as OTT services, enabling easier, instant access that is frequently prioritized by today’s media consumers. According to Lynch, “U.S. adults spent 10 hours, 39 minutes a day consuming media in the first quarter of 2016. That's up a full hour from the first quarter of 2015, and it's thanks to a substantial increase in smartphone and tablet usage, according to Nielsen's Q1 2016 Total Audience Report” (Lynch) This is indicative of the way consumers now use media, which is usually in tandem with other products – using one hand to navigate Netflix while using the other hand to scroll through a “Top 10 Cerebral Crime Dramas On Netflix This Month” list on a smartphone. This dramatic leap in user choice and accessibility compared to cable television is only further compounded by the lack or complete absence of advertising on most mainstream SVOD providers.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest offensive measure cable content providers can make is alter stacking rights so they can keep their shows from ending up on SVOD services, but this move does not stymy Netflix from investing billion dollar figures into their own programming. Cable TV networks shuddered as Hulu accepted an Oscar for The Handmaid’s Tale, showing that cable TV is not infallible to competing SVOD services. They will soon have to face competition from Apple, the next and largest giant of all to enter the SVOD business. As Tim Goodman writes for the Hollywood Reporter, “through these long years, even though those from within the broadcast industry began slowly painting a more hopeful picture than those from without, there wasn't a lot of concrete proof, and there certainly wasn't cocky gloating about fiscal gains or even confident assertions that monetizing the digital world had been figured out.”(Goodman)
The cable TV industry should remain stable for the next 5 years, since there is a still a gargantuan amount of entertainment and sports on cable TV, the primary reasons behind television subscriberships, and the industry still has time to respond to the proliferation of SVOD services with greater investment into their own content, sporting higher production values and more famous actors, and capitalizing on already popular shows with spin-offs. As Denali Tietjen writes for Forbes, “ABC, Fox, and NBC steered away from third-party studios this season, a recent trend in the broadcast TV industry. These studios are producing almost exclusively in-house with ABC producing all of its 10 new shows either fully or partially and Fox producing 9 of 10 new shows in-house.”(Tietjen)
Works Cited
Goodman, Tim. “Critic's Notebook: Revenge of the Broadcast Networks?” The Hollywood Reporter, 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/.
Tietjen, Denali. “Content Wars: How Television Networks Are Fighting The Netflix Threat.” Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/denalitietjen/2015/06/09/content-wars-how-television-networks-are-fighting-the-netflix-threat/#7e8be67c46f6.