The Future of TV was 4 Weeks Ago

Recently I shared the story of the death of the newspaper industry.  It was a combination of a personal story and an article about the financial health and business model of the newspapers that has attempted to stay alive by adapted to our technology driven world.  Click here to read it if you care. 

Today, I have more on the Evolution of Traditional Media, and this time it’s about TV.  An article published by Mediapost says the Future of TV is Now. (Actually since the article came out 4 weeks ago, I should say the Future of TV was 4 weeks ago.)

I’ve talked about the splintering of audiences numerous times over the years and yet some in the broadcasting world are attempting to hang on to the old models.  In Fort Wayne, Indiana we saw an out with the old and in with the new kids shift occur on a couple of the TV stations that shuffled their news departments so much during 2016 that no one knows who’s where, but more importantly does anyone care?

I am officially older than dirt, I guess but now I’m old enough that my gray hair is age appropriate, unlike 30 years ago.  But back to the subject of television and our viewing habits.  Here’s a few quotes:

The evolution of TV and video habits has meant that traditional user groups, such as the TV Couch Traditionalists, have shrunk by more than 30% since 2010, in favor of user groups such as the Mobility Centric and Screen Shifters.

Who are these groups?  TV Couch Traditionalists would have been me as a kid in the 70’s.  You watch what’s on when it comes on.  You watch in the living room or family room.  ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS were the ONLY networks. That expanded over the years with Cable TV, but that cable kept you sitting on the couch.

Mobility Centric and Screen Shifters sprung up when the technology was developed to watch what I want from nearly any source when ever I want.

But beyond these labels, here’s a few more tidbits:

Since 2012, the average consumer has increased their viewing on mobile devices by 4 hours a week, while their fixed screen viewing has declined by 2.5 hours a week. This means that today they spend an extra 1.5 hours watching TV and video than they did 4 years ago.

So traditional tv viewership has dropped by 2.5 hours a week.  That’s tough news for broadcast television stations.  And if you are advertising on traditional TV, the available audience to see your message continues to shrink. Sure we watch more video but not on the old boob tube as my Dad referred to the tv.

The viewing traditions of TV and media consumers are clearly changing, with the media industry introducing new types of content and formats. Just as the preferences for how to watch TV and video content are changing, so is when and through which screen the content is viewed.

The article points out generational differences comparing those 35 and under to the rest of us and while there are always exceptions, my advice is if you want to reach the millennial generation with your advertising messages, you probably ought to skip traditional TV and look at other online digital and video platforms. Notable exceptions might be certain live sports events, but I can watch those on my laptop, so never mind.

Want help on figuring out the advertising, marketing and media landscape and options that would work best for you?  Contact me.