Streamers upended the TV business. They made cable channels obsolete. They took a huge bite out of network TV.
And now...?
Well, they're not making much at all. So, after decimating the successful system TV had going for it, they replaced it with nothing.
Here's where TV is going in terms of the streamers, the networks, and the new indie TV creators...
What's going to happen with networks and streamers?
Streamers will obviously be okay. Everybody still watches streaming. However, investors got spooked that, following the streaming wars, not a single streamer was profitable aside from Netflix.
That has changed as of 2024, but only by a tiny margin. The streaming arm of Warner Bros. Discovery made a tiny profit this year and Disney+ is reporting their first ever profit just this quarter.
So, this contraction that we're currently seeing in terms of streamers not making anything anymore will end. And they'll start making stuff again.
And networks have slowed their descent. There are still millions of people watching NCIS and Will Trent. I know, I can't believe it either! And one of the fastest selling TV devices are digital antennas that pick up broadcast stations for free. Once again, I know, I can't believe it either!
So, though network has only seen declines over the last decade, there's a chance there's a market for network moving into the future.
What will we see on network and streamers?
Streamers are going for big budget, high-profile TV shows. And that seems to be about it. They're looking for major stars, loud properties, and news-worthy content.
In terms of their scripted content, networks are still going for broad TV shows -- your Law & Orders, SWAT, multi-cam comedies, etc. Basically, most things your grandfather might watch.
But we'll also keep seeing a lot of live content: sports, award shows, The Masked Singer, that sort of thing.
In fact, Sunday Night Football is consistently the highest ranked program on network TV.
So... where does that leave all the rest of TV we should be watching? The smaller TV shows without a huge cast or huge star? The ones that gain traction through word of mouth.
Well, they're pretty much gone.
The rise of Indie TV
And that's exactly why I believe we're entering a new era where TV will look completely new and, yet, somehow, completely old as well.
I believe scripted narrative TV - quirky comedies, interesting dramas - will start to appear on YouTube and other platforms, made into even shorter clips on TikTok and Instagram.
We have not seen the first narrative scripted episodic YouTube series yet that really takes off. And I'm not talking about YouTube RED, which was just a streaming service. I'm talking about something that's started by a production company, and potentially funded by an advertiser.
Here's where we get into the throwback portion of this new era.
Back in the 50's and 60's, TV shows used to be sponsored by one company. So, for example, Laramie Cigarettes would sponsor an episode of The Flinstones (this one is actually true) and during every commercial break, Barney or Fred would be extolling the virtues of smoking: calms the lungs, makes you a virile man, cures lung cancer, you know, all that 50's/60's nonsense.
And these new TV shows will basically be sponsored content, entirely funded by a company wanting to reach a specific audience through an episodic series.
The more popular of these shows will likely gain some attention from streamers and networks and will be purchased for their platforms.
The most prominent, and possibly only, example of this so far is Tires on Netflix. That was a show shot for YouTube, then purchased and put on Netflix as its own original content.
This could be a really exciting new era of TV that we're entering, in which anybody can get their foot in the door with a series of their own.
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