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Linear TV - 'Irreversible' decline

I agree, linear TV has been shrinking for some time now. Operators of networks and stations have been moving to cut costs to match the decline in advertising revenue. But cutting costs is only a short term fix. Any long term operation has to be able to increase revenues. TV and radio have not yet figured out how to increase revenues. And we have already entered a world where non linear TV is so damn easy to access and use. Why would anyone want to go back to the linear model? Even for sporting events you can start recording the game. Wait until about half way through and then start watching. Skip the commercials and you are live or close to being live by the end of the game. At one time all of America used gas or oil lamps to light their home at night. Then something better came along. At one time all of America used horses for transportation. Then something better came along. At one time all of America watched linear TV, then something better came along.
 
formerradio said:
Skip the commercials
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Are any of the streaming networks except the Netflix type making any serious money?

IMHO there will always be some kind of advertiser funded "free" programming. Love or hate advertising, it has to remain a part of the "Promotion" part of marketing. If you have a new product or service the public has to know the product or service even exists to search it out in a physical store or on a shopping web site. The form of "advertising" might be paying a social influencer but somehow the product needs advertisement.

One thing that I find annoying is the lack of number of shows episodes per season the networks show. Personally 25 episodes of a prime time show per year should be normal. The networks would have something fresh to watch for a half a year then reruns only once for the summer. Seasonal specials could fill the the other 2 weeks. Plus there work be more material for Peacock, Paramount and Hulu. And after 4 years the show would be at 100 episodes which used to be a key to profitable syndication
 
formerradio said:
Even for sporting events you can start recording the game. Wait until about half way through and then start watching. Skip the commercials and you are live or close to being live by the end of the game.
Click to expand...
Are you able to skip the commercials on streaming services? I was under the impression that they make you sit through the commercials (or at least part of each commercial, as on You Tube).

I guess I'm in a minority, but I make heavy use of a DVR, recording from OTA broadcast TV (which is linear) and skipping the commercials. Before DVRs were common, I did the same thing using a VCR.

That said, it is hard to argue that linear TV is on anything other than a steady downward course.
 
michael hagerty said:
The only two majors that aren't doing well are Peacock and Paramount+.
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Paramount+ says they'll be profitable in 2025:


www.theverge.com

Paramount Plus was profitable for the second quarter in a row.

The streaming service added 3.5 million subscribers and posted a $49 million profit — up from the $26 million reported last quarter. Netflix is no longer the only profitable streaming service, as Disney’s streaming apps and Max are also making more money through price hikes and a growing ads...
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

But Peacock losses are staggering:

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Peacock Quarterly Loss Narrows to $639M as Streamer Hits 34M Subscribers

"Our content offering provides such a great value proposition that we should have some real pricing power over time," says Comcast's president Michael Cavanagh.
www.hollywoodreporter.com www.hollywoodreporter.com
 
secondchoice said:
Are any of the streaming networks except the Netflix type making any serious money?
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I'm not sure that is a relevant question. Consumers are abandoning cable and dish rapidly, so the media companies either have to make their streaming offerings into a new business, or just fade away.

Around 5 million households have been cancelling cable each year the last 5 years. So the whole industry has about $30 billion less revenue last year than 2019, a decline of around 30%.

The executives realize the bundle is a bad deal for consumers, so winning consumers back will be essentially impossible.
 
PTBoardOp93 said:
Consumers are abandoning cable and dish rapidly, so the media companies either have to make their streaming offerings into a new business, or just fade away.
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We're seeing it in radio. Companies are redirecting staff and assets towards other areas besides broadcast. There's still some audience there, just as there are still people using POTS and other old telecom. There still is local sales available too. But the writing has been on the wall for a long time. People want what they want.

I read these posts from folks thinking everyone will ditch their digital devices and go back to transistor radios. All it would take would be more live & local talent and larger playlists. It's not happening. The electronics companies know it too.
 
PTBoardOp93 said:
I'm not sure that is a relevant question. Consumers are abandoning cable and dish rapidly, so the media companies either have to make their streaming offerings into a new business, or just fade away.
Click to expand...

They do have another option---licensing their content to a successful streamer. Now that FOX no longer owns a piece of Hulu, that's what it is doing---leasing its content to Disney for Hulu.

Look for Peacock to do the same or merge with another stronger streamer.
 
TexasTom said:
Are you able to skip the commercials on streaming services? I was under the impression that they make you sit through the commercials (or at least part of each commercial, as on You Tube).
Click to expand...
If I have to watch something online on the network web site, sure, but I usually haven't seen them. They seem to be different commercials. If not, i can look at something else online for however long.
TexasTom said:
I guess I'm in a minority, but I make heavy use of a DVR, recording from OTA broadcast TV (which is linear) and skipping the commercials. Before DVRs were common, I did the same thing using a VCR.
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I do this but I watch commercials I haven't seen if they look good when I am fast-forwarding.

And two weeks from now I will definitely be watching because they will be the best (supposedly).

Motel rooms don't have a way to skip but I do use the bathroom sometimes. And I am watching channels i don't see at home so I am seeing different commercials.
 
I still occasionally watch linear TV for sports, but other than that, I've turned off. It's not just the inconvenience of a linear schedule, but the content - I barely even bother with the programming on streamers or on-demand, either. It's all so negative - endless violence and bleakness. It's a real struggle to find anything uplifting or positive to watch, so I'm really selective. I watch a lot of YouTube now, there's a lot of crap on there, but the sheer volume of content means there's also a lot of really interesting travel and hobby stuff. Yet another show about violent cops on the edge, or yet another show designed to shock rather than entertain (that squid thing!) doesn't really get a look in with me.
 
Miss Tuned said:
I still occasionally watch linear TV for sports, but other than that, I've turned off. It's not just the inconvenience of a linear schedule, but the content - I barely even bother with the programming on streamers or on-demand, either. It's all so negative - endless violence and bleakness. It's a real struggle to find anything uplifting or positive to watch, so I'm really selective. I watch a lot of YouTube now, there's a lot of crap on there, but the sheer volume of content means there's also a lot of really interesting travel and hobby stuff. Yet another show about violent cops on the edge, or yet another show designed to shock rather than entertain (that squid thing!) doesn't really get a look in with me.
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The constant betting lines/odds that are part of live sports and sports talk over here have made me watch and listen to them less.

I never hear odds talk when I’ve listened to Off the Ball, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it despite not being a big soccer/football fan. Are betting odds part of any sports talk/live sports in the UK, or is that against Ofcom rules?
 
radiofan2023 said:
I never hear odds talk when I’ve listened to Off the Ball, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it despite not being a big soccer/football fan. Are betting odds part of any sports talk/live sports in the UK, or is that against Ofcom rules?
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If you mean BBC Radio Scotland's Off The Ball, it's a BBC program so doesn't contain any commercial messaging. There's an unrelated program of the same name on Newstalk in Ireland, but I've never listened to that, so not sure - Irish radio rules are quite different.
 
kfbkfb said:
www.tvtechnology.com

S&P: Spinoffs of Linear TV Networks Face ‘Significant Challenges’

‘Irreversible’ decline of linear TV leaves media companies in a ‘no-win situation,’ analysts say
www.tvtechnology.com www.tvtechnology.com
^^^
"Every day the companies hold onto their linear TV networks, they become less valuable."


Kirk Bayne
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With The CW being the last one of the OTA networks since nearly all the cable networks have converted to streaming

secondchoice said:
Are any of the streaming networks except the Netflix type making any serious money?
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Is that even a question anymore??
 
Miss Tuned said:
If you mean BBC Radio Scotland's Off The Ball, it's a BBC program so doesn't contain any commercial messaging. There's an unrelated program of the same name on Newstalk in Ireland, but I've never listened to that, so not sure - Irish radio rules are quite different.
Click to expand...
Yes I meant the BBC Radio Scotland one. Thanks for mentioning the Newstalk one - I listen to that station, but haven't heard that show so I'll look for it. When I used to listen to TalkSPORT, I don't think they had betting talk either, but I can't remember.
 
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