The future of television

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

In case you missed it, the media is describing scheduled TV as live TV.

Where?

How do they distinguish it from timeshifted using a Sky+ type device?

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

In case you missed it, the media is describing scheduled TV as live TV.

Yes, I did - can you provide a coupe of examples where this has happened, please?

The only place I can find what you describe is on the TV Licencing website - everyone else seems to use the standard definition.

Live TV means any programme you watch or record as it's being shown on any channel, TV service or streaming service. It's not just live events like sport, news and music. It also covers soaps, series, documentaries and even movies.

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ95

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by jfman

Where?

How do they distinguish it from timeshifted using a Sky+ type device?

There are numerous examples if you look. Hugh found one. (See below).

Here is another.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-r...ne-only-switch

'All the same, there are strong hints that the days of the large, live TV audience, with everybody sharing a scheduled broadcast at the same time, are numbered.'

You can trawl the internet for more if you want to, but really, this is nothing to do with how TV will develop. As ever, we are talking semantics here and it is of no importance. It's just a diversion, again.

---------- Post added at 18:10 ---------- Previous post was at 17:57 ----------

Originally Posted by Hugh

Yes, I did - can you provide a coupe of examples where this has happened, please?

The only place I can find what you describe is on the TV Licencing website - everyone else seems to use the standard definition.



https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ95

[1andrew1]

How Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming giants could change to stop Britons hitting cancel amid cost of living crisis

Bespoke subscriptions
The answer may be to siphon off content into separate subscriptions, like a Star Wars-only Disney+ tier.

Less user privacy
Another way to offer cheaper deals is through ads.

Until now, streaming services had used our data to make recommendations and inform their content line-up, but adverts mean that - like with social media - it's more likely to end up in the hands of third parties.

Embracing NFTs
Martin Warner, chief executive of independent streaming service Flix Premiere, thinks they have a role to play in his industry, comparing them to a post-ride gift shop at a theme park.

"Whether it’s a script, a director’s cut, a set of production stills - it could be a great place to go and align with TV and movies and foster a sense of community on your platform," he told Sky News.

An end to the binge model
But whether Amazon's Rings Of Power or Disney's Marvel shows, week-to-week viewing is back in fashion - and Netflix experimented by splitting Stranger Things and its Harry and Meghan docuseries into chunks.

Return of bundles
"It may be content coupled with passes to theme parks, credits to buy films in cinemas, things like that," he said. [He being Oscar Wall, European general manager at Recurly, which works with the likes of Paramount+ and Twitch]

Another bundling option would be to include the right to password sharing, which Netflix is reportedly preparing a significant crackdown on in 2023 - potentially charging extra for the privilege.

https://news.sky.com/story/how-netfl...risis-12763477

[jfman]

NFTs

The tulips of our age.

More interesting are the realisations that ad-supported tiers are likely to become commonplace (we were assured some years ago by a certain contributor here that this would never happen) and that dropping entire seasons of a show at once isn’t good for subscriber retention, implying a move towards quasi-scheduling, one episode per week. Disney and Amazon have embraced this; Netflix is clearly dipping its toe in the water too.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Chris

The tulips of our age.

More interesting are the realisations that ad-supported tiers are likely to become commonplace (we were assured some years ago by a certain contributor here that this would never happen) and that dropping entire seasons of a show at once isn’t good for subscriber retention, implying a move towards quasi-scheduling, one episode per week. Disney and Amazon have embraced this; Netflix is clearly dipping its toe in the water too.

I said Netflix would not support ads because at the time, the CEO was vehemently opposed to them.

I thought streamers would not include advertisements because that would deter people who wished to avoid them from subscribing. However, we did not discuss tiering at the time, which does make sense, as does a free option with ads.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I said Netflix would not support ads because at the time, the CEO was vehemently opposed to them.

I thought streamers would not include advertisements because that would deter people who wished to avoid them from subscribing. However, we did not discuss tiering at the time, which does make sense, as does a free option with ads.

Both of these we addressed at the time. I pointed out that a company strategy exists only as long as it’s expedient and rarely remains unaltered from one CEO to the next. If conditions change they may not even last that long. There are all sorts of reasons why things change. However, at the time you were only interested in rigidly defending your view that there would be no ads, no nay never.

My next prediction is that free-with-ads is only an experiment to see what the appetite is like and draw punters in. Eventually those ad-supported tiers will have a subscription rate of their own, just as Sky does today. Ad-free in the long run will be a premium service

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Chris

Both of these we addressed at the time. I pointed out that a company strategy exists only as long as it’s expedient and rarely remains unaltered from one CEO to the next. If conditions change they may not even last that long. There are all sorts of reasons why things change. However, at the time you were only interested in rigidly defending your view that there would be no ads, no nay never.

My next prediction is that free-with-ads is only an experiment to see what the appetite is like and draw punters in. Eventually those ad-supported tiers will have a subscription rate of their own, just as Sky does today. Ad-free in the long run will be a premium service

The BBC already do it
Much better value than any of these streaming services too.

[1andrew1]

Bespoke subscriptions
Now from Sky does this already. I don't think there's enough Star Wars content to justify that particular example but doing it by genre is an option for a potential Warner Bros Discovery service.

Less user privacy
Makes sense to get a bit of extra cash in by selling user data.

Embracing NFTs
I agree with the idea of fostering communities and selling merchandise but that's nothing new. An NFT is just another bit of merchandise with a dubious reputation.

An end to the binge model
Obviously makes sense.

Return of bundles
The quoted examples of cinema tickets and theme parks don't seem significant to me. I can see Disney, Universal (Comcast-Sky) and Warner Bros Discovery wanting to market their theme parks/studio tours to their respective subscribers but I doubt they want to undermine theme park revenue too much or include a benefit that few would use.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Chris

Both of these we addressed at the time. I pointed out that a company strategy exists only as long as it’s expedient and rarely remains unaltered from one CEO to the next. If conditions change they may not even last that long. There are all sorts of reasons why things change. However, at the time you were only interested in rigidly defending your view that there would be no ads, no nay never.

My next prediction is that free-with-ads is only an experiment to see what the appetite is like and draw punters in. Eventually those ad-supported tiers will have a subscription rate of their own, just as Sky does today. Ad-free in the long run will be a premium service

Not much of a prediction, Chris. It’s already happening.

I’m not aware of any streamers yet taking a sub *and* showing adverts in the middle of shows - did I miss something?

Originally Posted by Mr K

Much better value than any of these streaming services too.

The BBC is poor value for me, only one show I watch, and thats been ruined in recent years (but hopefully getting better in 2023).

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I said Netflix would not support ads because at the time, the CEO was vehemently opposed to them.

I thought streamers would not include advertisements because that would deter people who wished to avoid them from subscribing. However, we did not discuss tiering at the time, which does make sense, as does a free option with ads.

This is ironic considering you frequently accuse others of describing/clinging to the present and lacking the vision to see how the market will inevitably develop.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I thought streamers would not include advertisements because that would deter people who wished to avoid them from subscribing.

Surely if it makes them more money, streamers would do this in the same way that regular pay TV channels do this?

I think your opinion was formed by analysing TV broadcasting through a narrow technological lens rather than taking into account other considerations like commercial ones.