It seems like the old, traditional ways of watching TV might be on the way out. As of 2015, over a quarter of all TV viewing was done on digital streaming services, and industry experts are pretty much all agreed that this figure is likely to be higher when last year’s numbers are revealed.
And the interesting thing about all of these TV developments is that it isn’t just the young millennials that are embracing these new services. Everyone, from millennial through Generation X to the Baby Boomers are all getting involved.
With this in mind, we thought we would take a look at some of the technology and services that are driving the change. Read on to find out more on this compelling TV trend – and feel free to let us know how you consume your favorite shows and movies.
Mobile
Mobile technologies such as smartphones and tablets appear to be the primary driver for the trend towards streaming. Almost one in three people have watched their favorite show from a cell phone, and it’s a similar figure for tablet viewing. However, it’s important to understand that while this trend is rising, it doesn’t amount to that much – the average person only watches a couple of hours of TV on their mobile device every month.
The end of cable TV?
The Cord Cutting movement is now firmly established, as people turn away from expensive, traditional Cable TV companies and pursue other options. And the big trend here is all down to young millennials – they are simply not influenced at all by the major cable companies, which is causing all kinds of panic within the industry. Unless they start offering cheaper, better services, it’s likely to cause a huge issue for cable companies, as this trend shows no signs of abating.
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The entertainment hub
Entertainment centers – using a PC or games console as a hub for watching TV and listening to music – has been established for years now, but only in tech-savvy circles. However, these days it is becoming a lot more user-friendly than it has been before. It’s never been easier to set up your PC as an entertainment hub, and there are plenty of services out there which offer cost-effective ways of consuming TV and video. YouTube is an obvious free platform; you can get ShowBox for PC from here, and other services such as Netflix and Hulu are available for a small monthly fee. In fact, there is a growing trend towards the ‘No TV’ household – the figure is only around 5% at the moment, but we can expect this to increase over the next decade or so.
Illegal downloads and streaming
According to research, illegal downloading and content streaming is reaching epic proportions. According to research, 32 million people watched pirated episodes of Game of Thrones – and again, we can expect the figures for 2016 to be higher.
Social network TV
Finally, there is some hope for traditional, scheduled television – it’s becoming more of an event. Take the Game of Thrones example again, and it’s easy to see why. People are starting to live Tweet as they watch, and many people are saying that their enjoyment of TV is increased by using social media. It’s a trend that is a little like the water cooler chats you might have at work, only in real time rather than after the event. And we’re expecting TV companies to become a lot more clued up about the potential of live TV events shortly.
