Regular broadcast TV faces an uphill battle for viewers. That much isn’t up for debate. Traditional avenues of entertainment here at home, like the SABC and DStv, are bleeding eyeballs. Ew. No. Not like that. They’ve got fewer viewers.
If former Disney head Bob Iger knows anything about it — and he should — those platforms are in for an even rougher time. At least they’re not alone.
Streaming killed the TV star
Iger said at Vox’s Code conference that traditional TV in all of its forms (including satellite) “…is marching to a distinct precipice, and it’s going to be pushed off”. Almost nothing good happens to anything that happens to be pushed off a cliff.
“I do not think that all of the streamers that are in it today will survive,” he added. Iger reckons that some streaming platforms — Netflix, Prime Video, Apple, and obviously Disney+ — will stick around. The others, he was a little less certain of. He declined to comment when queried about the fate of Discovery/HBO, the streaming platforms that recently underwent a turbulent merger.
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While Iger’s views on the fate of TV broadcasting are being borne out by usage statistics, which streaming companies will survive the current environment is less certain. It’s certainly true that the market has increasingly fragmented as everyone tries for their share of the cash. Companies with the money and skill to buy or develop desirable entertainment will eventually come out on top, absorbing competitors as they go. Netflix, Disney, Amazon and Apple certainly fit the bill.
Poor business decisions, like those made as a result of the HBO merger, could also cost companies who possess the funds to make it out the other side. Iger might be dismissive of a Disney competitor but Warner Bros… hasn’t exactly been on a winning streak of late.
Source: Bloomberg