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Is traditional TV dying?

Is traditional TV dying?


  • Total voters
    25

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. Television has been a huge part of society for many, many decades now; it's been around for far longer than I have, and many aspects of popular culture as we know it revolve around and/or were started by TV. A TV is viewed by many as an essential within the home these days, and at a guess, I'd say that the vast majority of people in the developed world at very least own a television.

However, I've noticed a vast change in people's TV viewing habits within the last few years. The more traditional scheduled approach to TV watching seems to be decreasing in popularity, with streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime amongst others increasing in popularity, and almost becoming the norm nowadays. So my question to you today is; is traditional TV dying? In 20 years' time, will we still be watching TV channels and looking at TV schedules to see "what's on"? Or will that become a relic of the past within a few years, with the new on-demand approach having taken over completely? And more generally, what are your thoughts on on-demand TV and its rise in popularity?

Personally, my answer is yes; I do feel that traditional TV is dying, and I do feel that on-demand could have rendered it obsolete before too long. Within the last few years, I've noticed quite a drastic and abrupt change in how both my family and people I know more widely view TV. When I was a young child, the TV world revolved around terrestrial TV, and even when I was in my early teens, it seemed like everyone watched terrestrial television, and while on-demand streaming services existed, it seemed like they were something that very few people had access to or used. From my perspective, the likes of Netflix didn't properly blow up until I was getting on for my mid teens (I was maybe 13 or 14, at a guess? For reference, I was born in 2003.), but a few years ago, it felt like TV viewing habits shifted rapidly and drastically towards on-demand services, and that shift has only gotten more drastic since. While most people I know watched terrestrial TV a fair amount a few years ago, their viewing of terrestrial TV has decreased substantially in recent years in favour of streaming services, particularly in the case of younger demographics.

While we as a family watched a fair amount of terrestrial TV when I was a child, we watch very little nowadays; almost everything I watch with my parents now is on Netflix. And although I'm not a huge TV viewer in general, practically everything I do watch is on demand nowadays. I know that plenty of people do still watch terrestrial television (older demographics in particular still seem quite reliant on traditional TV), but the amount does seem to be rapidly decreasing, particularly among younger demographics; this may just be who I know, but I know very few people below the age of 40 or 50 who still regularly watch terrestrial TV (or at least, watch more terrestrial TV than streamed TV). More and more things seem to be moving towards streaming services; while they mostly used to have old films and TV shows on them, the popularity and prevalence of "Original" series has increased exponentially in recent years, and things like reality TV shows and even live sport, which would traditionally be more suited to terrestrial TV, are moving towards primarily being on streaming services. Even traditional TV channels and services are moving towards an on-demand model; for instance, Sky has introduced on-demand services, and BBC3 recently moved to primarily become an on-demand streaming service.

A good case study of this shift for me is the topical TV of the current period; Christmas TV. I felt that TV was quite a topical subject to bring up right now what with it being Christmas time; Christmas TV & film has become a surprisingly large part of the festive period. My dad was telling me yesterday that when he was young, the Christmas period seemed to revolve around the TV schedule and what Christmas TV was on and when, and even when I was a younger child, I seem to remember the Christmas schedule and what programmes and specials were on over Christmas being a big thing. However, within the last few years... the discussion has shifted from "what's on TV this Christmas?" to "what's being put on Netflix this Christmas?" or "What's good to watch on Netflix this Christmas?". It's really interesting to see, and the Christmas TV schedule doesn't seem anywhere near as relevant as it used to be, from my perspective.

Perhaps controversially, I'm personally quite happy with things moving towards on-demand. I think streaming services are a brilliant invention, and ensure maximum flexibility for TV watchers. Gone are the days where families would fight about what to watch on TV, or the days where your TV watching habits would be solely determined by the whims and timings of a schedule. I'd argue that on-demand satisfies everyone; each TV watcher can watch whatever they want at whatever time they want to (within reason), and I think that's absolutely superb, personally!

But what are your thoughts? Do you think that terrestrial TV is dying, and are you happy about the rise of on-demand services?
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
Definitely dying.
I'm an oldie (well, compared to most of you lot I am) and even in our house, with no kids in it, we are virtually 100% on-demand nowadays. Even when we do watch scheduled tv (Strictly, for example... or occasionally drooling over Sally Nugent's legs in the morning 🤤 ), we still watch it via one of the streaming platforms.
 

James F

Hyper Poster
Yes without a doubt.
The only on-air TV I watch is BBC Breakfast and ITV's unholy trinity of daytime game shows (Tenable, Tipping Point and The Chase) for when I am at my grandma's. Sometimes I do get nostalgic for the Christmas Radiotimes TV Guide, but other than that Nexflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and NowTV have removed any desire I have to watch normal telly.
 

Jamesss

Hyper Poster
I don't watch TV at all. Literally never.

No Netflix or anything.

Zero shows of any sort.

It would make no difference to my day-to-day life if televisions suddenly ceased to exist.

People are always shocked when I tell them this. 😂
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
Well it depends what you count as ‘traditional.’

If that includes streamed services, then I think there’s a lot of life in it yet. In fact streaming seems to be killing the cinema and physical media sales more than anything else.

For me personally, because services like sky+ or catch up TV on cable have existed for an eternity, by my memory my entire bill paying life… I see streaming as just an expansion on that, so I class it as TV personally.

But if we’re only including live TV then it’s a different story. Sport I imagine will still be big money, and popular live on TV. But that can easily transition to online streaming platforms (and we’ve already seen that)

As for creative programming. TV spread itself thinly. With so many TV channels, the likes of the BBC, ITV and C4 will never keep up with the budget available to the big 3 streaming platforms. They’re international companies and there’s so few major players right now. Netflix and Prime will always be able to outbid most major TV networks for the best programmes the way things currently stand.

Tl;dr I think the traditional networks will die, bbc, itv etc. But the act of watching TV will continue for a while yet, facilitated by the big international streaming services.
 

FarleyFlavors

Mega Poster
I wouldn't be so quick to write off terrestrial television just yet. Popular drama series such as Vigil and Line of Duty still attract audiences north of ten million. Even a routine Saturday evening will see upwards of ten million watching live across all channels.

Are these numbers as high as they were before the streaming services became more popular? Obviously not, but those kind of figures still represent a significant percentage of the population.
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I've barely watched any linear TV at all these past few years. It's not necessarily the inflexible program schedule, or that streaming lets you pick anything you want at any time instead, but I really, really hate to have what I'm watching interrupted by commercials all the time. Intrusive ads can go screw themselves, and I wish every STD known to humanity upon the people who put them there. The lack of commercials is the foremost argument for streaming in my eyes.
 

Sandman

Giga Poster
I've barely watched any linear TV at all these past few years. It's not necessarily the inflexible program schedule, or that streaming lets you pick anything you want at any time instead, but I really, really hate to have what I'm watching interrupted by commercials all the time. Intrusive ads can go screw themselves, and I wish every STD known to humanity upon the people who put them there. The lack of commercials is the foremost argument for streaming in my eyes.

Definitely one of the most cursed things about TV.
Even if there's something I want to watch on terrestrial TV, I'll tend to wait until all episodes are available online so I can binge them back-to-back with the addition of an ad blocker.
 

FarleyFlavors

Mega Poster
I've barely watched any linear TV at all these past few years. It's not necessarily the inflexible program schedule, or that streaming lets you pick anything you want at any time instead, but I really, really hate to have what I'm watching interrupted by commercials all the time.
Well, yeah - aside from the odd footie match, I haven't watched anything live for many years. But it's not that onerous to use a PVR and a fast forward button.

What irritates me even more is the now pretty much universal use of DOGs.
 
My kids never watch TV, everything is on YouTube or streamed. I'm very similar although I will watch live sport or news.

Is anyone under thage of 60 watching live TV anymore?
 
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