Over the past few years, we have seen how things have changed and how telecommunication companies have evolved. The advancements in technology have changed the face of the telecommunication industry. We have been a part of this gossip that the era of cable TV is dying for quite some time now and still we see that millions of users are using cable TV services. There are still many potential customers of cable TV services, who are not ready to switch to streaming services because of multiple reasons. Regardless, the future of cable TV is dark. People will eventually shift to streaming services because of the amazing perks you get with streaming services. Streaming services offer you flexibility and you don’t get that flexibility with cable TV.
The Impact of Smart TV- Future of Cable
Almost everyone has a smart TV and those who don’t will have it in the future. If you have a smart TV, you can save a lot of bucks. Smart TV offers you a lot. You can connect your internet to your smart TV and can even record shows if you have a cloud service. You just need to make sure that you have a strong internet connection, which you can easily get as there are many internet service providers like Spectrum, who offer amazing internet plans to their customers. You can check Spectrum plans and can even bundle your internet with the TV service offered by Spectrum.
Cable TV Service vs. Streaming Service
Cable TV companies are aware of the fact that people are switching to streaming services because they are cost-effective and offer you pretty much everything from on-demand programming to live TV. If you have a smart device or a smart TV, you can have streaming services. There are many streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime that are growing fast and have millions of subscribers. The numbers are going up every day because of the amazing content they offer in high-definition quality. Many people in America have subscriptions to streaming platforms, and they are also getting cable TV services as both have their pros and cons.
Many people get excited when something new comes up and they try it at least once to see if it’s good or not, but then many people are afraid to take any risks. We need to understand that if a new technology comes in, it doesn’t mean that people will instantly stop using the old technologies. It’s hard to get out of your comfort zone and try something for the first time about which you are not sure if you are going to like it or not. The first thing you need to figure out is your usage. If you think that what you want comes with cable TV, then you should get a cable TV service, and if streaming service suits you more, then you should go for a streaming TV service. But if we talk about what gives cable TV competition, then it’s streaming services.
Streaming services come with many benefits and one of those benefits is no contract and commitment. You can subscribe whenever you want and you can cancel whenever you feel like canceling the services. It’s all up to you. Cable companies are giving out plans that come without a contract but many companies charge extra for that.
Personalized Plans Instead Of Pre-Made Packages
People in the past had to get a whole plan just for a few channels and they paid for something that they didn’t even want. For instance, if a customer wanted HBO or any specific channel, he had to get a plan that included his favorite channel and a number of other irrelevant channels as well. Paying for something, which you don’t need, doesn’t make any sense. With the demand for streaming services going up, cable TV companies have become more personalized and have started offering customers what they want and not anything too fancy, which they don’t even need. However, there’s a lot that needs to be done and cable TV companies should evolve with time or else they will lose more customers.
Streaming services are masters of personalization. If you like a specific show, you can get a subscription to that streaming platform, which has that show and you can enjoy it with some amazing content as well as per your taste. The streaming platforms use your watching history and recommend you the shows of the genre you like.
Original Content
There are many streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime that have their own original content, which you can’t watch elsewhere. You will have to get a subscription to that streaming platform in order to access the exclusive programming. For instance, Netflix has popular shows like Money Heist. Many people only got a subscription to Netflix because they were unable to find original shows anywhere else. This is one of the major reasons why people are switching to streaming services. In 2019, Netflix invested around $15 billion, which was almost 85% of their total spending on making original content, and they ensured that the quality was not compromised. Similarly, Apple TV+ has spent around $6 billion on making original content, and Disney Plus invested around $1 billion in making original content in 2020.
The original content gives you more control over what you have in your library. The streaming platforms have more to offer since they are not as restricted as cable TV when it comes to content flexibility and delivery.
Commercials Become Antiquated
The companies that are providing streaming services have proven that you don’t need to broadcast commercials in order to do business or to grow in the market. In the future, even the cable services will have to change their structure, because people prefer to watch content without ads, or there will be very smart advertising rather than multiple broadcasted ads. Consumers don’t want to watch ads multiple times while watching their favorite movie or a TV show. Streaming platforms anticipate the customers’ needs and offer them what they want before they even ask for it and that’s how they face multiple competitors in the market.
Summing it up
The cable TV era is not dying anytime soon. The companies who are providing cable TV services know what their competitors are offering and they are evolving with time, as they understand how important it is to adapt to the changes and evolve.
