When I first moved into my current apartment, my roommates did not have cable television. They had a TV with a DVD player to watch movies and a Hulu account, but no one wanted to pay the extra cost each month to add cable. Eventually, I convinced them of the benefits of cable for things like watching a Law & Order SVU marathons on a rainy day and HGTV shows on Saturday mornings and they gave in.
Contrary to popular belief, the rise of Netflix and other online streaming sources has not led to the death of television. While there may be fewer people choosing to watch live TV or even purchasing cable packages, television is still alive and well. This is because the major networks have noticed this change and they have adapted.
One thing that is around now that wasn’t when I was a high school student is a DVR. Those who choose to have cable or watch TV now have the option to record their favorite show and watch it at another more convenient time. On Demand is another feature that has grown more and more popular as well. Companies have even built commercials into their On Demand show streaming so that they can still profit off you watching.
Another way that the major TV companies have gotten around the rise of online streaming is to provide content online as well. The day after the show airs, you can go online to the networks site, like abc.go.com or cbs.com and watch them right then and there. The networks offer the show for a certain amount of time, usually 4 weeks before taking them offline and they insert commercials into their online account so that they can still profit off its viewers.
Social media has also kept the major networks in line. They have created a mentality of “Watch or miss out.” Some commercials for new episode say things along the lines of “If you don’t watch it tonight, you will hear the spoilers tomorrow.” With today’s social media and instant notification society, that couldn’t be truer. If you miss the finale of your favorite show, you run the risk of seeing a spoiler on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Yahoo might even do a write up and put it on the front page of their site and the entire episode will be ruined for you. These networks have also created a “hive mentality” when it comes to shows and social media. They offer ways to engage with their fans through the use of hashtags throughout the show. Some of the actors even retweet or answer questions while the show is on air and if you don’t watch on time, you miss the chance to interact with your favorite celebrity about your favorite TV character. A great example of this is Shonda Rhimes and #TGIT (Thank God Its Thursday.) Thursday is the day that all of the Shondaland shows air so you can watch Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder back to back and interact with all of the cast and producers of the shows online using the hashtag.
While Netflix, Hulu and even YouTube+ are creating new and valuable content at more affordable prices than a cable subscription, people who use these sites also watch re-runs and old seasons of shows that once aired on major networks like NBC and FOX. They are adding something new to the market but they are not yet at the point of replacing it.