[opendtv] Re: LA Times: From binge-viewing to cord-cutting: Four takeaways from the 2015 TCA press tour
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 10:51:09 -0400
On Sep 2, 2015, at 8:43 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I notice some "self-soothing" there, at the end.
I noticed you ignored most of the meaningful information in this article.
"When The Times spoke to Gary Newman, chairman of Fox Television Group,
during a break in Fox's day at TCA's press tour, he pointed to the network's
hit show 'Empire' and how it prospered with a traditional once-a-week rollout
despite changing habits. Ratings grew each week, and the event-style
scheduling also generated social media buzz."
Yes, I also watch some shows as they roll out weekly - but not by appointment.
Fine. Obviously viewing behavior is changing, especially with respect to
watching episodic TV programming. From the article:
But Landgraf did acknowledge changes must come as viewing habits continue to
shift away from linear TV to on-demand platforms.
And:
In noting the ways in which media companies are competing, while also
working hand-in-hand, in this evolving TV universe, CBS entertainment chief
Nina Tassler highlighted the push-and-pull relationship with the streaming
service.
"Netflix competes with us for audience, while buying previous seasons of our
popular dramas, many of which perform quite well on their service," she
said. "The truth is we're all part of one big content universe."
One term that popped up multiple times was "experiment:"
"We're the most traditional kind of network, and we're always looking for
ways to become less traditional," Greenblatt said of the experiment.
Greenblatt did point to a silver lining: Those who did watch online were
younger -- with a median age of 35. So the experiment wasn't a total bust.
He also pointed to the results of the experiment:
NBC's Greenblatt revealed that what actually happened was far from a
binge-fest. In the end, 94% of the "Aquarius" audience watched the
traditional way, while just 6% watched online.
What is the traditional way? I would define it as viewing the live broadcast or
recording it for time shifted viewing. The 6% who watched online were able to
view all episodes after the premiere of the first episode. This is a far cry
from 30% of the audience watching online - the incentive was there to
binge-view, but 94% of the audience watched one week at a time.
And speaking of being in the experimental phase...
"He continued: 'On the most simplistic level, our point of view is to create
content, we'll figure out some way to get it into the homes and on the mobile
devices of consumers,' Newman said. 'We'll be able to figure out a business
model that will allow us to continue to do that.'
Another experiment:
Premium cable network Starz will next give the all-at-once strategy with its
new limited series "Flesh and Bone" and returning drama "Da Vinci's Demons";
all episodes will be made available for Starz subscribers on its Starz Play
app and Starz on Demand.
"It's fun to run a premium network and do different things with programming,
and this is an experiment for us," said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.
Other notable information:
Changing viewing habits, particularly among young people, have been
disrupting the TV industry for some time. Many now watch TV shows on their
tablets and smartphones or record them to watch later. In addition, TV shows
are facing rising competition from video games, YouTube videos, Facebook and
other social media.
I see this every day. I have used the "average viewing hours" statistic
recently. Bert says he and his wife don't watch five hours a day. In our home
the TV may be on five hours a day, but that does not mean anyone is watching.
My daughter turns the TV on whenever she is home - much of the time the sound
is turned off.
This raises an important issue: how engaged are people with respect to shows
that are on the big screen. I have referred to this as the background noise
phenomenon.
The Deloitte study offered an interesting slide - #12 Multitasking
The slide tells us that 90% of TV viewers are multitasking when the TV is on.
Slide 13 tells us only 22% of this multitasking is related to the program on
the TV.
And one last quote:
"What 'Empire' really speaks to is the fact that broadcast television is
still incredibly relevant and vibrant," Newman said. "But cord-cutting is a
phenomenon that I think all media companies need to think about - what is it
that's driving consumers to cord cut?"
I guess that's the 64 million dollar question.
Economics are clearly a factor. Perceived value is a factor as well.
But the Deloitte study provides one statistic that Bert must find to be quite
frustrating. From Slide #7 - Top Three Most Valued Services Among Subscribers
#1 - Home Internet - 94%
#2 - Pay TV (cable and/or satellite) - 80%
#3 - Mobile Data plan - 58%
#4 - Streaming video source - 54%
Regards
Craig
Other related posts:
