Posted on 03/11/2015 10:37:37 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Viewership was down in the third and fourth quarters
It might be time for cable to start worrying about online streaming. The Wall Street Journal reported that a drop in TV ratings and viewership can be chalked up to subscription-based streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.
People familiar with the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau told the newspaper that as much as 40% of TV-rating declines in the third and fourth quarters were attributable to streaming services. The news comes as TV viewing has declined by an estimated 10% from a year previously in the third quarter, and by 9% for the fourth quarter year-over-year, according to the Journal, citing Nielsen data.
“We believe the U.S. television industry is entering a period of prolonged structural decline, caused by a migration of viewers from ad-supported platforms to non-ad-supported or less-ad-supported platforms,” according to Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger in a March 9 statement.
According to the Journal, Scripps Networks Interactive chief revenue officer Steve Gigliotti said that working with Netflix once “sounded like a good idea, but “now there are some serious misgivings about it.”
Netflix reported fourth quarter earnings in January, posting big gains. The company reportedly finished 2014 with a 26% gain in revenue in the year’s last quarter, while over four million people subscribed. Netflix notched $1.48 billion in revenue during the quarter, up from $1.18 billion last year. Profits also rose 72% year-over-year for the fourth quarter to $83.4 million, or $1.38 per share.
Meanwhile, HBO announced a streaming service that will begin as an exclusive partnership with Apple. Plans were unveiled at a March 9 event, featuring the Apple Watch. While HBO Go will cost $14.99 per month and require access to an Apple TV, Netflix costs $8.99. During the event, Apple also announced it’d be reducing the price of the Apple TV to $69 from $99.
There used to be a time when you could get 1 or more premium channels added, but not any more. You have to get the whole package, or you get nothing. And besides, I've had plenty of instances over the years where the one DVR I've got either hasn't recorded the program I'd set it for (says channel not available), the program I recorded is all pixelated, and can't be viewed, or their system freezes while I'm recording, and I have to reboot the box, and lose the full recording. So why would I want to double my displeasure and have whole house DVR, and pay more for it.
I don't watch any live TV. Everything I view is recorded so I can fast-forward through the commercials.
I’d rather watch reruns of Murder She Wrote on Netflix then watch all the new crap that’s on T.V. today.
I’ve got a media server on which I store TV programs/series I’ve downloaded from UK websites. I use the Plex server application via my Roku, and get to watch a lot of interesting historical documentaries, not to mention the great dramas and crime/mystery programs the Brits, Australians, New Zealanders produce. My oldest son set it all up for me as I am technically challenged, so I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone else how to do it.
I blame it more on the lack of quality programming that is being offered at the time the typical Netflixer, Hulu or Amazonian watch their TV's........
So what do these outlets offer, just movies? I'm not a typical movie guy and any that I watch are on DVD's that I get from the library for free even tho I may have to wait a month or two before I can pick one up that I ordered.
Yes there is trough a variety of devices including many dvd players that are capable of streaming
I haven’t had cable or a tv signal in a very long time. Netflix didn’t exist back then had nothing to do with it.
Thanks Mr. Jeeves
Just as good an answer on netflix as I would expect from the “ask mr jeeves” search engine. :)
More and more people are imagining TV without 15 minute commercials every 3 minutes.
I’m looking at a tuner card and antenna since ME-TV runs NBC Mystery Movies and that TWC box defies every attempt at disabling power saving.
Hauppauge seems to make a good card. Never tried one.
poor content is killing ratings. Even original ideas packaged in the same focus grouped delivery (two or three serious characters surrounded by a cast misfits including a homosexual and a representative of the group that the democrats want to victimize) will never make it.
It’s all the same crap which is why we don’t participate.
TV, as we know it ...
Got it.
I actually meant TV as it has been all these years with dreaded sitcoms.
I agree, some of the content is terrific.
The movie selection on Netflix is not that good. Tons and Tons of 1 star movies you’ve never heard about.
But the old TV selection is good - original Star Trek, Farscape, Star Trek spin offs, Enterprise, etc, etc.
We got rid of dish network and signed up for netflix and amazon prime. In my den, I have a Roku 3. It is wi-fi enabled. (Roku 2 is cheaper, but needs to be wired to the ethernet connection.) Our XBox 360 has a netflix and amazon application, as does the Wii. They both are wi-fi connected.
The Roku 3's remote is a bluetooth receiver for the audio too. You can plug your earphones into it and watch TV without disturbing others. Very cool.
I've never been a fan of sitcoms...never watched them. It's also gotten to the point where I hate to start watching a program, because you never know how long it will last. They don't bother showing total series anymore. They pull them by the third or fourth episode. Some of them are down-right stinky from the get-go, which makes you wonder why they even bothered to air them to begin with. I tried watching "Allegiance." I gave it two episodes, and then dropped it. Glad I didn't waste any more time on it as they cancelled it after the 4th episode.
I watch almost everything on my iPad now. I have an adapter so I can plug it into the tv if I want. I can’t stand watching regular tv now because of the commercials. Besides I have a site that uploads everything as soon as it plays east coast time and I am on the west coast so I still get to start watching it 30 mins before it actually comes on here......and 0 commercials.
Yes, that is what I do. No cable out here in the boonies. Have DSL and no issues except occassional blips when the power goes out...I stream Netflix from WIFI.
Oh and I should add I have a Wii that streams Netflix from the WIFI.
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