As I write this, I’m watching an episode of NCIS that I purchased from iTunes and streamed to my Apple TV. Last weekend, I was swapping stories with friends about our favorite TV shows and when someone mentioned a show I didn’t recognize, I asked when it was on. The answer? “I don’t know, I TiVo everything.”
That’s when I realized that I nearly never watch TV shows during regular broadcast hours. Instead, I rely on recordings and purchases to watch shows I’m interested in, when I want them. And since the networks now stream shows on their Web sites and Hulu, who needs to be a slave to the TV schedule anymore?
In a report titled “Television, Internet and Mobile Usage in the US,” Nielsen calls this phenomenon “timeshifted TV” because viewers are watching shows on their own schedule.
Who’s been hurt by this phenomenon?
- The networks that rely on advertising since so many of us fast forward through commercials or purchase commercial-free shows.
- Providers of schedules, like TV Guide and the newspapers, since we use our devices to view or purchase what we need on demand.
Who’s benefiting?
- Companies that allow us consumers to watch shows on demand, like Netflix, iTunes, Comcast, Verizon, etc.
- Companies that can develop non-traditional advertising and PR campaigns and don’t just depend on viewers watching shows and sitting through commercials.
How about you? What are your viewing habits? What other disruptive technologies and trends are helping us say bye-bye to traditional forms of leisure?
