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: 10 responses
In 3-5 years, I expect the TV industry to look more like streaming services. Broadcasting and cable networks will have more options for viewers to watch scripted originals and any show, series, or season from the past (older than 5 episodes ago). There may even be an option for broadcasting and cable networks to go international, too. Streaming may still be ahead of the game with new opportunities and technological and digital advances, but if broadcasting and cable networks create technological innovations and think ahead, then they surpass streaming services.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Goldberg, Lesley. “Scripted Originals Hit Record 455 in 2016, FX Study Finds.” 21 Dec, 2016.
Lynch, Jason. “Advertisers Beware—Audiences Are Taking Longer Than Ever to Watch TV Shows.” 2 Aug, 2016.
Oxford Business Group. “Broadcasting growth: New players continue to expand the sector.” n.d.
https://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/overview/broadcasting-growth-new-players-continue-expand-sector
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ReplyDeleteWith this newfound threat of SVOD services, broadcasting and cable networks are feeling the heat of the competition. In order to keep up with these services, both are implementing changes in order to attract and keep viewers. As discussed in a Forbes article, the emergence of original shows on services like Netflix and Amazon have created more competition for broadcasting and cable networks (Tietjen). To combat this, these networks are trying to introduce original hours, with new shows being introduced to bring in a greater audience (Tietjen). Another change being introduced by broadcasting and cable networks is the shift to in-house productions (Tietjen). With the potential to either fully or partially produce their own shows, networks can either benefit completely or suffer completely. While this can greatly benefit cable networks, it also creates potential for downfall if the shows end up being a flop. Broadcasting is also trying to be less restrictive and have more creative control (Hughes). These networks are trying to target the audience that is attracted to SVOD services and accumulate just the right audience for advertisers (Hughes).
ReplyDeleteThese efforts have helped them compete with SVOD services because it has created this competition between original content. As mentioned in the article, “80 percent of content viewing that occurs during prime time is of cable and broadcast shows, while only 13 percent represents SVOD options” (Lynch). While streaming may offer services at any time, there is still a big chunk of people who rely on or prefer broadcasting and cable networks. Introducing original content brings in viewership, giving them the bump up they need. As mentioned in another article discussing how Netflix may not be a threat as of yet,”Wurtzel said Symphony's data also revealed that most viewers of those SVOD shows return to their old viewing habits by the third week” (Lynch). At the end of the day, there are going to be those that using streaming but then go back to their old ways of watching tv by watching it “the way that God intended…” as mentioned by Lynch. Original shows, in-house productions, and targeting a broader audience is allowing cable networks and broadcasting to build an audience again, targeting those that would normally go to an SVOD service.
I think that the future of the TV industry lies in streaming and original content. Streaming has become something that almost everyone does and it’s only expanding. With the emergence of original programming, broadcasting, cable networks, and SVOD services will be in constant competition for audiences. I think that original programming is something that is proving to be a success so I think this is where the future will lie. While I think broadcasting and cable networks will still be on top, I can see streaming services following close behind.
Works Cited
Hughes, Mark. “How Cable's Emmy Wins Signal The Future Of Television Programming.” Forbes.com. 23 Sep. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Lynch, Jason. “Advertisers Beware: Audiences are Taking Longer Than Ever to Watch TV Shows.” Adweek.com. 2 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Lynch, Jason. “NBC Says Netflix Doesn’t Yet Pose a ‘Consistent’ Threat to Broadcasters. Here’s Why” Adweek.com. 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Tietjen, Denali. “Content Wars: How Television Networks Are Fighting The Netflix Threat.” Forbes.com. 9 June 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
From what I have seen of broadcast and cable viewership over the last couple years, most channels have had declining rankings while the higher ranked channels mostly have to do with sports engagements or political discussions. If there were cable networks that somehow maintained their viewership after the cord cutting fiasco, then they either had a series that began awhile back or they ran a new comedy series which usually does better in rankings than other genres. According to Tim Goodman, “I still believe broadcast networks are churning out great comedies, and they dominate this list. I'm less interested in the dramas, because, frankly, most can't compete qualitatively with the best of what cable and streaming services offer” (Goodman). I agree in the fact that most cable and broadcast networks nowadays shouldn’t even be lumped into the same category as streaming services. I feel it is such an unfair way to compare these two very different mediums of entertainment. Streaming offers a cheaper and wide variety of shows and movies where no commercials are even played. Nothing interrupts the viewer experience while broadcast and cable bills can range from eighty dollars and up and have advertisements every eight to nine minutes. I see the only positive aspect the broadcast networks have played on in the last few years is the 2016 presidential election. They monopolized on that event so that they could be set for the rest of the year before monopolizing on the Super bowl the following year. According to Lisa de Moraes, “2016 will be remembered as the year Donald Trump won the White House by taking control of the television news cycle. One year after the reality TV star’s antics and debate performances nearly catapulted Fox News Channel to the top spot among basic cable networks, finishing within 300,000 viewers of ESPN, this year Fox News leapfrogged the sports network by more than half a million primetime viewers, averaging nearly 2.5 million to ESPN’s 1.9 million” ( de Moraes). As you can see the fact that that FOX and other networks decided to use the political race to their advantage and the stupid narcissistic nature of Donald Trump they found a way to increase their ratings and viewership. In the next few years I am not sure how broadcast and cable networks will fair against streaming services and social media. This past election was completely social media driven especially by Trump therefore I can only see that the next election will be even more internet and social media driven with less emphasis on the television news cycle. According to Greg Satell, “Some of the best shows are actually Netflix and HBO originals, which I don’t need a cable subscription for. I can catch most of the rest with Hulu Plus and a digital antenna. Some broadcasters, like Bloomberg TV, already offer a live stream through their apps” (Satell). With another view similar to mine about the future of cable television I would not be surprised if more people had the same idea of getting around the cost of cable bills and the annoyance of advertising. All in all, it seems to me that cable television is on its way out.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Goodman, Tim. "Tim Goodman: The Best Network TV of 2016." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Moraes, Lisa De. "Cable TV Rankings 2016: Presidential Politics Fuels Ratings Gains." Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC, 21 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Satell, Greg. "The Future Of TV Is Here. Can Cable Survive?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 June 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Today’s world is changing ever so rapidly. Something that is also changing is that SVOD services are becoming more popular. With that you would have to expect broadcasting and cable networks needing to make drastic changes in order to keep viewers to help them compete with these new SVOD services. One thing that I feel played a big role in helping viewership for cable networks was this year’s presidential campaign. First and foremost, SVOD services did not have the ability to cover the race because that’s not what SVOD services are made for. With the election being covered on the big TV new stations it might have been easier for cable companies to keep ratings for other TV shows. Major Network Stations like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC, all saw a just up in ratings where most of this probably came from the election coverage the fact that these channels provided coverage might have kept people on for some of their other TV shows afterwards or before. (Moraes, 2016)
ReplyDeleteIf you take a look at the top 13 shows from the past year you can see that they are all from these major news outlets that covered the election, but also some great comedy shows and drama shows were churned out as well. (Goodman, 2016). With this year having so much election coverage you have to think how much that might have helped TV shows, and how in the future you might see them start to get hurt when it is not an election year. This is a big problem and cable networks are going to have to think of something before SVOD services completely take over, and looking at how well SVOD services did over this past year it does not look good for cable networks who really need to think of something to entice viewers and fast.
However, their might be a silver lining for broadcasting and cable networks, as the other day NBC came out with a statement saying that “Netflix doesn’t yet pose a ‘consistent’ threat to broadcasters.” In the article President of development for NBCUniversal Alan Wurtzel stated that “The reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.” (Lynch, 2016) Where you have to look though is in the title and seeing how the tittle of the article puts in the key words doesn’t “yet” pose a threat. Seeing that word yet would get me very worried as a cable network executive because that means that if they don’t do something then in the near future they could have big problems. With this it is why broadcasters and cable networks have to think and come up with new innovative ideas to keep viewership number up or in a couple of years we might be having a different conversation. This conversation could involve the need to save cable networks and broadcasting companies because of how much trouble they are in because of SVOD services. So over the next couple of years you should keep an eye out an see what new things cable companies are doing to keep their numbers up.
DeleteWork Cited
Moraes, L. D. (2016, December 21). Cable TV Rankings 2016: Presidential Politics Fuels Ratings Gains. Retrieved February 14, 2017, from http://deadline.com/2016/12/cable-rankings-network-ratings-fox-cnn-msnbc-1201873996/
Goodman, T. (2016, December 18). This Is Us - Tim Goodman: The Best Network TV of 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2017, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/tim-goodman-best-network-tv-2016-957031/item/best-network-is-us-957029
Lynch, J. (2016, January 13). NBC Says Netflix Doesn't Yet Pose a 'Consistent' Threat to Broadcasters. Here's Why. Retrieved February 14, 2017, from http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/why-nbc-says-netflix-does-not-yet-pose-consistent-threat-broadcasters-168985/
Angie King
ReplyDeleteBroadcasting and cable networks should be very aware of SVOD services as major competition, but this isn't the end of their reign. The president of research and media development for NBCUniversal, Alan Wurtzel, noted that the "death of television" was a premature panic for some networks. Wurtzel continued, "the reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated" (Lynch). He referenced data from Symphony Advanced Media that "most viewers of those SVOD shows return to their old viewing habits by the third week... '[By then], people are watching TV the way that God intended'—that is, via traditional, linear viewing” (Lynch). But this does not mean that broadcasting and cable networks can stay complacent, they will have to adapt their business models to keep viewers.
The three main strategies for broadcasting and cable networks will be ownership, stacking and social media. Vertical integration is the name of the game for networks that want to own the majority of their shows. CBS Corporation chairman Les Moonves stressed the importance of ownership in today's market, "[w]ith the international marketplace and domestic SVOD 'exploding,' 'having ownership is a huge, huge difference — and it does affect everything we do'... 'A show that’s 100% owned [by CBS] will generally get a better time period and generally will be more important to the network'” (Andreeva). However, CBS is not the only network in the battle for ownership. The other big networks have similar tactics. Out of the big four networks, "Fox leads the pack with all-time high 88% ownership of its series, including event series. What’s more, all of its owned series are fully owned, coming from sibling 20th Century Fox TV. The other networks all have co-productions/co-ownerships. NBC is at 82% owned/co-owned series; ABC at 77%, including limited series" (Andreeva). Ownership is becoming the keystone part of negotiations when networks decide to take on new series. The profit of ownership keeps them in competition.
Stacking has also been a major tactic of the broadcasting and cable networks. Stacking rights "allow nets to stream all episodes from a series’ current season on its platforms, not just the standard 'rolling five' most recent ones" (Andreeva). Stacking is so important because that is what the consumers want, and why some of them are turning to streaming services. SVOD services allow "binge-watching," giving access to multiple serialized episodes at a time. The idea is that in-season stacking rights would boost viewership. It allows viewers to catch up on episodes and discover new ones they have never seen before.
The last tactic that broadcasting and cable will use much more frequently within the next three to five years is social media. Social television is a growing phenomenon that will play an increasingly important role in the television industry. Nielsen Social tracked data of Twitter interaction with television programs including season premieres and finales. "Loyal" authors on Twitter are those who tweet about three or more episodes during a season ("The Making Of Social TV"). The Twitter users who were defined as loyal could prove to be a valuable asset for TV networks and advertisers. These authors sent more tweets per episode and also had more followers than other authors ("The Making Of Social TV"). There are many opportunities for broadcasting and cable networks to incorporate social media into their business models to maintain viewers. Nielsen concluded that "on-screen calls to action, live Tweeting by owned accounts, or paid social campaigns" could give television shows more social currency and value, which would attract more viewers ("The Making of Social TV").
Works Cited
DeleteAndreeva, Nellie. "Network Ownership & In-Season Stacking Rights Rule 2016 Upfronts: In-Depth Look." Deadline. 20 May 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Lynch, Jason. "NBC Says Netflix Doesn't Yet Pose a 'Consistent' Threat to Broadcasters. Here's Why." Adweek. 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
"The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz." Nielsen. Media and Entertainment, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
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ReplyDeleteBroadcasting and cable networks at the moment are struggling to keep their businesses thriving in competition with SVOD services. With the changing times of the media, they are forced to stay on their feet in attempt to keep their audience. As new media evolves, it becomes harder and harder to manage dwindling ratings and audiences. Broadcasting and cable networks have several ways to accomplish their goals of beating out the competitors.
ReplyDeleteAudiences have shifted greatly from watching live television to streaming their favorite shows whenever, wherever. So many people today are consuming their media online, not only on streaming services but also on social media. One thing I’ve noticed over the past few years watching broadcast and cable network television, is the utilization of the hashtag. Even if viewers are tuned into a show on their television, they are very likely to take the conversation online. I think this is a great idea to keep viewers hooked to their TV screens if they have the option to use social media as an interactive method.
Television networks are fully aware of the convenience and accessibility of online and social media, which is why they are taking this approach to keep wide audiences. Because live TV isn’t exactly the most popular mode of watching shows, online audiences can prove to be beneficial to broadcasting and cable networks, “With online response to linear TV peaking as programs air live, networks, agencies and advertisers pay close attention to highly engaging moments and look to capitalize on social programs as opportunities for advertisers to drive earned media” (Nielsen 2016). As explained in the previous quotes, advertisers and programs are able to highlight on important areas of shows and create buzz with various forms of interaction.
Another way for these companies to attract and keep viewers is investing in streaming services. This is a helpful way to bring in revenue for the company because the future can be predicted to be in online streaming. If a broadcasting or cable network invests money in a show that could become big, they are taking a huge risk. But if the risk pays off, the reward could be very great. Many networks have stakes in online streaming shows, “This shows that in the new era of ramped-up vertical integration, indie studios still can score big with shows the networks want, while also illustrating the concessions they have to make in the realities of today’s TV business” (Andreeva 2016). If CBS takes a chance on a show just staring up on a streaming service, and that show does very well, CBS benefits greatly.
DeleteBecause times are constantly shifting, it is hard to tell what the future holds for broadcast and cable networks. Streaming services offer so many different options to cater to various audiences, “Delayed viewing is also bringing a younger audience to older-skewing shows like Law & Order: SVU” (Lynch 2016). With NBC giving their rights to Hulu to stream all seasons of Law & Order: SVU, they are creating a much wider audience while also attracting the streaming viewers to tune in to the series live. Right now it seems as if delayed viewing through streaming services is the most popular form of consuming media, and I predict that it could continue in this direction for the next few years.
The Nielsen Company. "TV Season 2015-2016 in Review: The Biggest Social TV Moments." Nielsen, 6 June 2016. Web.
Andreeva, Nellie. "Network Ownership & In-Season Stacking Rights Rule 2016 Upfronts: In-Depth Look." Deadline. Deadline, 20 May 2016. Web.
Lynch, Jason. "NBC Says Netflix Doesn't Yet Pose a 'Consistent' Threat to Broadcasters. Here's Why."Adweek. Adweek, 13 Jan. 2016. Web.