Television vs Streaming: Who Will Win the War of the Future?

There is a very popular saying in Latin America that says "warned war does not kill soldier" (or with some variant). And is that if we look closely, the world of streaming is taking over the industrie more and more and even the different awards ceremonies, thus weakening cable TV that is beginning to look obsolete by not adjusting to the technological changes that are taking place. Has our way of watching television already changed and we weren't aware of when it happened?

What was seen recently at the 2021 Emmy Awards could be considered a reality check for the different television channels, since the streaming platforms not only took all of these awards, but also began to emerge as the only future of entertainment. Little by little, services such as Netflix, HBO Max, or Apple TV (who just shone at the Emmy Awards) continue to increase the number of subscribers. The advancement of technology is the key to this.

Our day to day has changed the way we see things, interact with other people, and even have new facilities when it comes to working and entertaining ourselves. It has been thanks to technology that now everything is more simplified and sophisticated at the same time, because in it we seek to have greater comforts in any aspect of life. That point has been perfectly understood by streaming applications and not so much by cable TV.

Television: an uncertain future

If there is one thing we are sure of, it is that conventional television will not cease to exist, or at least not in the medium term. And it is that at the time it was known as the "silly box", because it was capable of attracting millions of people for hours in front of various programs, which had the power to hypnotize us. However, this particular consumption has been reduced with the appearance of streaming platforms, which also gained strength during the months of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the two still coexist in harmony, the war is more than evident to the point that several cable television channels have been forced to launch their own streaming applications. In fact, one of the most notorious cases is that of HBO, which despite being the subscription channel par excellence had no choice but to adapt to the new times of technology, but without neglecting the investment in its original content and exclusive.

On the other hand, we still see that there are some channels that refuse to evolve and therefore remain conventional, knowing that the panorama tells them that sooner rather than later they will have to give in not to disappear from the map due to lack of audience. Even the simple fact of not being present in the streaming world could affect to some extent their television productions, which are less and less taken into account in the different award ceremonies.

Also read: Emmy 2021: What Productions Can be enjoyed on Apple TV +?

Streaming: a comfortable service without advertisements

There are many reasons why streaming will be the future of both film and television, and there is no question about that. But if we must mention two that seem fundamental in the drop in the audience of cable TV, they would be: the comfort of watching content anywhere and the tranquility of not being interrupted by the innumerable advertisements. Are those the keys to the success of the platforms?

Of course, the content will always have the last word, and if we go to that point, iconic series like the "CSI" or "Law & Order" saga are still attractive in the eyes of the people even though they have been canceled. The future of productions that remain on cable television is not encouraging, since to survive it is necessary to have a certain audience percentage, and as we have been saying, said audience continues to board the streaming ship.

In short, the only ones who really benefit are the viewers, who in one way or another will continue to enjoy both services. Conventional television is already aware of the changes that are emerging, and if they really do not want to completely lose the war against streaming or stay out of the nominations for awards, they will have to adapt to reality.