TV is changing in a good way for consumers. Internet is taking over. There are now hundreds of apps out there that streams movies, TV shows, music videos on mobile devices. The percentage of TV viewers is dropping, but not significant enough to say TV is history.
Internet TV is still very new and technologies are still being developed to make it easier to watch your favorite programs on your mobile device.
People will keep watching TV shows online on streaming sites like Hulu, Netflix etc. for years. In fact, the number of online streaming services will even get popular in 2014. Mind you, broadcast or cable TV is not dead!
TV content partnerships
Some of the biggest and trusted telecommunications companies in the world keep evolving to present packages that make TV attractive with or without the internet.
The interesting thing to watch out is that most telecommunication companies offer subscription services which includes phone, broadband and television. They have the technology to make internet TV possible. This gives them the opportunity to research into technologies that can easily allow TV viewers access their TV subscriptions on mobile devices. Some have already started it.
BT Group in the United Kingdom has partnered with its competitor, Sky’s Commercial Group to allow BT Vision and BT YouView customers to have the option of adding Sky movies. The deal will see 11 channels coming to BT TV.
Content partnerships can only be in the interest of TV viewers. This will possibly open up opportunities for further technological partnerships that can help users get better TV programs on TV and on mobile devices in the future.
How about displaying mobile content on TV
Innovative technologies are now making it easier to seamlessly throw your music and movies from your mobile device to your big screen (TV). Apple’s AirPlay for iOS users allows you to wirelessly stream audio, video, and image data from your mobile device to your television using your home Wi-Fi network.
If you don’t use iOS or don’t own an Apple TV, Google’s brand new Chromecast system is a great option. The dongle connects to your TV through an HDMI plug, and pulls down the content you’re watching on your device from the cloud, playing it on your TV.
The intersection between TV and social media
The intersection between TV and social media is gradually maturing. Nielsen has already considered the first official Twitter-based rating system. Research has shown that social chatter about TV shows actually correlates with ratings.
TV networks are digging into data offered by Twitter, Facebook and other social networks for audience insight to make relevant changes.
The biggest test for the viability of Internet-only TV content will come next year when Arrested Development TV show returns not to the Fox network on which it originally aired, but exclusively to Netflix.
YouTube has already hosted the very first YouTube Music Awards this month and recorded huge figures in viewer numbers.
Twitter has also been researching into TV trends. Twitter acquired Trendrr in August to allow them to track both social network activity during TV broadcasts and deliver that information to advertisers and media producers.
As viewers constantly use their mobile devices during TV shows, advertisers will know exactly what programs users are watching the most to better target users with ads.
Nielsen is already updating its TV audience measuring methodology to include Internet sources. The Nielsen update further illustrates the extent to which TV is changing in the age of streaming services and mobile devices.
Internet TV can only get better with time and it’ all in good interest for consumers.