Cord-cutting has grown so prevalent that it begs the question, “Are streaming services destroying cable providers?” It is not inappropriate to inquire. People are increasingly switching to streaming platforms and abandoning cable. The question of why cable TV is losing business is a fair one.
We cannot dispute that streaming platforms have altered the entire viewing quality for users and that internet service has been a factor in this. And, you can watch any platform from anywhere, like you can stream BBC iPlayer in Australia. An Internet connection is required for the streaming service.
If there aren’t any roadblocks, users in Australia will naturally choose streaming sites over real-time cable TV services like most of the world. Let’s investigate why this is the case.
What’s the future of Cable TV?
It’s not that Cablevision is extinct. That’s not true. It still remains in high demand, and there are cable tv hookups in nearly every home. The cable industry has led the market from the earliest days. This edge is more than just a monetary one; people stick with such providers for decades. It’s been successful in keeping its clients due to powerful service suppliers and extensive channel selections, but expansion looks to remain stagnant. That said, the ease of a streaming platform in Australia is not inferior to that provided by cable. The absence of choice when it comes to price turns off consumers.
Impact Of Online Streaming Services
Despite the fact that streaming software was launched in the 1990s, it did not undergo significant transformation till lately. With the development of tablets and phones, internet service became more widely available. So, streaming platforms have benefited from the increasing appeal of smart devices. There are roughly 200 streaming options accessible. Each one provides its unique set of items and services.
There was once a time when watching movies and shows on TV was the only option. People often line up for hours to see hit comedies like “M*A*S*H” and “Friends”. Then the internet came along and drastically changed the media industry. Cable and satellite substituted planned programming (IPTV) on the limited set of broadcast channels. The number of available channels has skyrocketed. Now, customers can pick whatever they want to watch.
Increasing Cable TV Subscription Costs
TV has been a well-known entertainment form for quite a long time. Is it still advantageous to have a Cable TV membership in this internet era? It is incredible how expensive Cable TV itself is. As per calculations, a Cable TV connection costs roughly $100 per month. When compared to the price of online streaming platforms in Australia, it’s a substantial sum.
TV series and movies that are already accessible on streaming platforms are typically televised on Cable TV. Sports events like Super Bowl and FIFA, along with many entertainment programs, are excellent on TV, but are they worth the extra money to watch a once-a-year ceremony? No way, specifically with much more sports and games available on the internet.
As a result, streaming platforms are less priced, more reliable, simpler to use, and much more flexible than traditional TV. They also have a large selection that caters to customers all around the world.
Ease of Use and Accessibility
Streaming TV is handy in one sense: Just watch anything, anywhere, anytime. However, it can be inconvenient. Streaming services are purposely making basic functions difficult to use.
Another type of easiness provided by broadcast and cable – is simplicity.
“You just turn on your TV and go to a news channel, the weather channel, a sports channel, a network, or any other specific channel given by your cable operator,” Selepak explains. “With streaming services, you must switch between applications for entertainment, weather, news, or sports, and live broadcasts of sports or headlines are unusual.”
However, this is evolving. Apple just acquired the rights to air Major League Baseball games on Friday evenings, also the NFL might follow suit. Likewise, YouTube and Twitter have taken over the job of TV news for so many youngsters. Given that streaming is outpacing cable in regard to viewership, cable may struggle to keep its sports contract. Anyway, NFL, MLB, and football (soccer) content providers all over the world want to market to the platforms with the highest revenue, which correlates to the biggest viewership.
Digital TV
The market of outdated media is diminishing. Its potency is fading at a speed that no one would have predicted.
Because of technological advancements in the TV market, clients can now plan their viewing habits. You can create a playlist on platforms such as Youtube and Spotify. For example, Netflix provides viewing history-based recommendations. The times of waiting to watch any movie or show are gone for good. Now, you can binge-watch all your favorite shows.
If your favorite title is geo-restricted, then you can use a VPN service to access the site. VPN masks your location. So, you can easily make it look like you are residing in that certain country. We recommend you use ExpressVPN.
Wrap Up
It is a classic “once upon a time” narrative as TV was the dominant means of entertainment. Even now, it has a following, still, streaming platforms are built for much more ease. Conventional cable TV is still available in many homes. In contrast, the internet continues to have unequaled reach.
According to Nielsen data, Hulu, Prime Video, BBC, and Netflix all hit new highs, owing to series like Stranger Things and Killing Eve. But not everything is “new media”. We also watch a lot using cable company applications like Comcast. Streaming contributed to 34.8% of views, while broadcast contributed to 21.6% and cable factored for 34.4%. However, it is the still-growing broadcast figure that may foretell the fate of streaming. That is, over-the-air and cable distribution will continue to exist for a long time in Australia.
