The future of television. Well, the next 36 months of it. Supposedly.
Are industry executives the best voices to listen to in terms of where the future of television is headed? Not at all, but it is always interesting to hear their thoughts on the topic as it helps to contextualise their thinking about where they’re investing resources and why networks and services are being shaped in the way that they are.
Today CNBC has this good article asking executives what they are predicting what TV looks like three years from now. Reporters Alex Sherman and Lillian Rizzo at CNBC ran the same survey three years ago, which makes this a pretty interesting exercise. Not all of the same executives are involved, so it’s not exactly 7 Up for media dorks.
A couple of answers I found interesting for one reason or another:
In three years, will we have hit a floor on cable TV subscribers?
Chris Winfrey, Charter Communications president and CEO: I think it’s going to decline dramatically, because the cost of free, over-the-air [retransmission] is now over $30 per customer for something that’s essentially free. But what you’re seeing already is all of that broadcast content and cable content is really all available inside of these apps, and it’s available inside of big streaming bundles that I think will develop over time, and I think that will include Netflix. When you really think about it, Netflix is essentially a big cable programmer that could end up being bundled together with the other streaming apps to provide more choice, more value, and more utility for customers over time.
A certain amount of bundling does take place already in the US and internationally, but I’ll never understand the fixation that pundits and executives have in predicting a predominantly bundled future. Over the past ten years we have seen a feature many people like about streaming services is the ability to chop and change services. People don’t want to be locked into these bundles, which I suspect most people realise is there for the long-term benefit of the streamers and not the customer.
What’s one thing that will become a TV industry standard that doesn’t exist today?
Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN chairman: Ubiquitous personalization. Personalization exists today, but I’m going to say three years from now, you’re going to see it pretty much everywhere, meaning networks are providing the right content to the right user at the right time, and you’re going to see content being promoted based on a user’s preferences, but you’re also going to see content being created and tailored to a user’s preferences.
Anjali Sud, Tubi CEO: I think you’ll see ads get way more useful and relevant the same way they have on social media. If you think about the experience today on television, it still largely feels like the ads are not personalized, and you can imagine a world where you can see such hyper-personalization that really — it gets to a place where what you see as an ad doesn’t even feel interruptive or like friction. It actually just feels like, wow, that was really helpful and useful, because you know me so well.
Of all the predictions, this feels the most dead-on. As AI becomes better integrated into streaming services, personalization across content recommendations and with the ads that are served will only improve.
It’s an obvious one for good reason.
There’s broad agreement that the biggest streaming services will probably still be the biggest in three years. What’s another service that you think will gain significant market share?
Debra OConnell, Disney Entertainment Television chairman: Look at Instagram’s recent announcement about TV formats. I think [it’s] likely a service that we’re not thinking of today, but it could be more broadly services that are here today and are expanding the capability of how they engage and connect with audiences, as well as expanding those experiences.
This, again, feels like one of these issues that executives are sure will happen, but it never actually does. Despite efforts by TikTok and Instagram to get deeper into different (re: longer) forms of video, there’s a certain rigidness that is baked into the experience of all of these platforms. They have trained viewers to thirst for the next video and the next one and the next one. Don’t expect big, broad changes in how these platforms operate. They work well for a reason.
I liked John Landgraf’s curt response to the question:
Landgraf: Do I really think that a streamer we’ve never heard of is going to be meaningfully competitive in long-form video three years from now? No, I don’t think so.
This week’s Cool-o-meter!
News Desk
Hayden Panettiere, who starred as Claire Bennet on Heroes, headlined Nashville and played Kirby Reed in the Scream films, has died at 36 in South Carolina; a cause of death has not been released and no foul play is suspected. A child actor turned troubled star, it is fair to suggest the industry failed her. Read: Variety
Paramount on Monday asked a federal judge to force State AG’s opposing its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to cover the costs of the delay created by their lawsuit seeking to block the deal. It is seeking a $1.88 billion bond from the 12 states. That’s a $1.88 billion dollar fee of Paramount’s own doing. Read: NYT
HBO has renewed It: Welcome to Derry, its prequel series to Stephen King‘s It. Read: thefutoncritic
CNN has its three prime-time anchors — Anderson Cooper, Kaitlan Collins and Abby Phillip — locked into contracts ahead of the Paramount takeover, complicating any attempt to reshape the lineup. Read: Variety
From 24 August, YouTube will count a view the moment a video starts playing across all formats — likely inflating public view counts — while preserving the old measure as “Engaged views.” Read: The Verge
Paramount+ is looking to reassemble the original Clueless cast alongside Alicia Silverstone and returning director Amy Heckerling for its sequel series. Read: Deadline
Cary Elwes, Dianna Agron and Sam Riley are among seven new additions to the fifth and final season of HBO’s Industry, now filming in the UK. Read: Deadline
Stephanie Koenig from the under-watched, but very good, English Teacher is joining Apple TV’s Platonic for its third season. Read: Deadline
Warner Bros. communications chief Katie Martin Kelley is leaving for Netflix as VP of Communications for film under Dan Lin, the latest executive to exit amid the studio’s merger uncertainty. Read: TheWrap
Webtoon Entertainment is moving into vertical microdramas, launching six one-to-two-minute “Short Dramas” — including Love Bites and Maybe Meant to Be — adapted from its popular webcomics. Read: Variety
Trailer Park
HBO has released this look at the weeks ahead of new drama Lanterns, following its debut yesterday.
A Different World debuts on Netflix on Sept 24.
Deborah Wayne, daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, begins her freshman year at her parents’ HBCU alma mater and works to step out of their shadow and build her own identity.
The Diplomat returns for season 4 on Netflix on Oct 15.
Hollywood Arts debuts on Netflix on Oct 15.
Struggling actress Trina Vega returns to Hollywood Arts High School as a substitute teacher, clashing with and inspiring a new generation of performing-arts students while discovering an unexpected knack for teaching.
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga debuts on FX on Sept 8.
Set in ‘90s Los Angeles, the Snowfall spinoff follows Wanda and Leon as they fight to take West Coast rap mainstream while gang wars erupt and record labels move to exploit hip-hop for their own gain.
Scrubs returns for its second revival season on ABC on Sept 30.
Clean Up Company debuts on Prime Video on Aug 21.
Three friends — Raju, Swapan and Goldie — start a body-disposal business for a gangster in a border town, navigating gang rivalries and police investigations along the way.
Vigil returns for season 3 on BBC One and iPlayer on Aug 30.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
Consider becoming a paid supporter of Always Be Watching.
Connect with Dan on Bluesky. Connect with Dan on Letterboxd. Connect with Dan on Linkedin. Challenge him on the NYT word game Crossplay. Email Dan @ alwaysbewatching.com or just reply to this email.
