Streaming vs Broadcast TV
Streaming services claimed the largest audience of viewership this July - what does this mean for traditional viewers?
What does the research say?
A new report from market measurement firm Nielsen, states that a larger portion of TV viewers chose streaming services over broadcast TV in July.
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34.8% of audiences watched on streaming services
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34.4% of audiences watched on cable TV (private)
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21.6% of audiences watched on broadcast TV (public)
Streaming now accounts for more viewers as a collective than any other form of content. This has been a long-predicted shift; analysts have been warning of this change since streaming services started to take off. And, until this July, cable and broadcast were safe from this looming threat.
Why has it happened?
In June, streaming hiked up from 31.9% to 33.7%. And when we look back, we can see some reasons for this. In May and June of this year, Stranger Things season 4 and The Umbrella Academy season 3 came onto our screens, boosting Netflix's share by 8%. Hulu's Only Murders in the Building and Amazon Prime's The Boys netted billions of viewing minutes as well.
Sports also played a massive part in why viewership on broadcast and cable TV dipped. As Premiere Leagues, NBAs and Olympics battle for contention on streaming platforms, and deals come to an end on cable/broadcast platforms, viewership drops.
In this modern age of instant gratification, streaming is the ultimate choice. When you can get your wallet, work meetings, social media and movies all in one device, why would there be any other way? You have access to all of your favourite content without having to travel all the way to Blockbusters or needing to borrow a Blu-Ray from your buddy down the road.
But is it the same?
Nobody likes to wait. Unless it's in the right situation.
There's something exciting about waiting to board a rollercoaster, or looking forward to an anniversary date. The same can be said for traditional viewership; waiting at 9:59pm for the latest episode of Game of Thrones to air every week gave us a glimpse into a woebegone era. But will things stay the same? With technology ever evolving, a good proportion of us are finding comfort in nostalgia. We collect DVDs, records and even old film cameras, wanting something tangible to link our hobbies to. Even going to the cinema can be seen as somewhat nostalgic, given the amount of digital releases onto streaming platforms. And now that we're inundated with re-runs and remakes, will we ever recapture the magic of gathering around the sofa to watch the latest episode of our favourite show?
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