This audiovisual content platforms’streaming‘ continues to gain ground in linear television. Although they initially preferred the production and presentation of series, the apps gradually expanded their catalogs to formats such as ‘reality shows’ and competitions, which had hitherto been more of a small screen product. ‘victory operation‘,’Save me‘ and new edition of ‘Yellow humor’ They are already moving away from the traditional field and gaining a second life in new emission windows. Does the new TV swallow the old one?
Kantar’s consumption data confirms this levels mass they mark historic lows in traditional television in the last few months. “Citizens now have alternatives for our leisure and entertainment that didn’t exist a few years ago. These options include platforms that replace some of the functions that television traditionally did for certain social groups,” he explains. Reinald Besalú, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual Production Observatory, Pompeu Fabra University.
But experts warn that these reports do not reproduce consumption data for audiovisual displays outside the setting of traditional chains. “We must distinguish between conventional television consumption and television consumption as a device that includes all broadcast platforms, video channels and games. The traditional is declining at a dizzying rate, but total remains constant” denotes José Manuel Eleta of the Communications Directorate of Barlovento.
digital consumption
In this sense, “growth in digital consumption echoes“It’s like all the new television phenomena like “fast,” “Free Ad-Support Television” — new free online content channels — “among others,” says Pablo Romero, managing director of Runtime, a new cinema platform and free series. with ‘fast’ channels.
Platforms are replacing some of the traditional functions of television.”
Paradigm shift in the use of television, generation follower relay. Traditional broadcasting is failing to attract young viewers who prefer to watch content on their own portable devices, and Netflix is trying to renew itself by launching its own apps, such as RTVE, Atresplayer or Mitele, which co-exist with HBO Max and Disney+. , among others.
brand building
‘Operación Triunfo’ to premiere 2023 edition by Amazon Prime Video After the last three deliveries by RTVE. According to Romero, this program goes beyond “the physiognomy of the distributor” and has already become a name in its own right. “The good thing about brands is that they migrate to new environments and that’s where their success and growth comes from in the digital world,” he explains. However, having chosen a payment platform “may conflict with the nature of their product” as they are formats that “require linear channels to be successful.”
The deputy director of the UPF Observatory, for his part, supports this theory and considers that the aim of Prime Video, which has added ‘OT’ to its network, is to “appropriate and become a name on television in Spain.” brand difference Regardless of whether it works well or badly in the Spanish market” A way to exist in the minds of consumers.
Switching to platforms
The return of ‘OT’ to Televisión Española in 2017 marked a digital revolution, recording the highest consumption of a television format via social networks and YouTube and showing its potential through new formats. “As the 2020 edition is over and RTVE has doubts about the program renewal, we saw that ‘OT’ has a better future in the digital world than in the linear world,” said Tinet Rubira, Managing Director. Gestmusic is the producer of the ‘show’.
Gestmusic offers Prime Video a format the audience already knows. “For a long time platforms you spent your money advertising your content to get people to subscribe. Once you have content that is in the collective memory of an entire country, you no longer have to spend a lot of energy selling it,” explains the executive.
Many platforms focus on major formats and brands that are in the memory of the whole world.”
The creator of the television formats believes this is one of the reasons why “many platforms are now focusing on these major formats and brands that are in everyone’s memory.” Thus, “a substantial part of sell your content already done” and those who want to enjoy these programs have no choice but to go to the respective apps to do so.
last age group
Targeting a more adult audience that still consumes traditional television, ‘Sálvame’ made the leap to Netflix after leaving Telecinco. What about those over 65 who still prefer to sit on the couch and browse the various channels? “The purpose of putting ‘Sálvame’ on Netflix is not to enliven the platform’s audience, but rather as a way to see if platforms can take it at a time when they are already highly integrated into Spanish communication culture. These people were older than they were the last people to make the jump, they just did”, says Besalú.
But it’s impossible to know for sure how the new program will work across platforms: “An experiment to see what they can get out of there.” Of course, experts are clear that the multinational corporation “doesn’t cost much” and “doesn’t put too much expectations” on the outcome.
get data back
Besalú thinks that return to linear consumption indices “not possible” because society is in another paradigm. “Consumption is similar to what it was a few years ago because people continue to have interest in information, sports and TV shows, what’s happening is that it spreads to other screens and isn’t metered well,” explains the professor. Joan Corbella, director of the UPF Audio-Visual Production Observatory, is determined to reinvent themselves and differentiate traditional television channels.
There is also an economic problem behind the move of ‘reality shows’ and competitions to ‘broadcast’ platforms. Televisions have seen their revenue from advertising decline and cannot afford the same size of programming as they were a few years ago. However, platforms accustomed to investing large sums of money in their series say that these products are more affordable and in return “create a lot of noise and attract a new audience‘ says the director.
“Meanwhile, they are increasingly succeeding in cornering traditional television operators. They are replacing them with serials, programs and ‘reality shows’, leaving them less room for maneuver. The professor from the Catalan university is the future of television,” he concludes.
The population is experiencing an overdose in the consumption of audio-visual products. ‘Streaming’ platforms won’t be able to maintain the massive amount of content they release each week for much longer and will have to adapt to changes. Barlovento’s director, José Manuel Eleta, assures that apps have “reached the ceiling with the subscription business model” and are now committed to pursuing “more traditional television” strategies, as Netflix has now done by serving some proportions of advertising. .
Large multinationals in the industry have observed that they need to stop focusing their content strategies on: one or two types of televisionit will continue to grow and expand its ‘target’ with other formats, as it has so far with TV series and movies.
According to Joan Corbella, director of the Observatori de la Producció Audiovisual at UPF, the world does not accept the large number of platforms that currently exist, and in the near future “they can be combinedr” among them. These payment operators are also starting to produce content to sell to other platforms; so they will format manufacturers. This means a “return to the tradition of the television world”, where the same company produces programs for multiple channels.
Specifically, Warner and Disney have already announced that they will make some series available on other platforms. “For example, Netflix can win because this content from other companies cheaper than making your ownDisney and Warner will make money from selling the programs,” he explains.
Barlovento’s deputy director confirms that “the television of the future is moving closer and closer to the usual television, but with nuances”. A theory supported by Corbella: “After this big bang we could go back to a previous world”. Can ‘stream’ be converted to old linear television? “These are new traditional TVs that will probably eliminate some of the old TVs and more well-known brands like TV3 and Atresmedia will be able to survive. There is no oxygen for everyone and some will fall”.