Broadcast television is edging forever closer to the endangered species list. “Cord cutting” is not a fad, but a growing trend that continues to impact both cable providers and broadcast networks. People are cutting ties with Time Warner and Comcast in favor of Hulu and Netflix. They’re trading in their DirecTV dishes for Apple TV and ChromeCast. And they’re doing so because content is available everywhere. On our smart phones. On our laptops. On our SmarTVs. You no longer need a cable subscription to watch your favorite shows. In our new blog series, we’ll take a look at which companies are posing the biggest threat to broadcast television.
So how did this happen and who is responsible? In our new blog series, we’ll take a closer look at some of the companies contributing to the demise of broadcast television. Which brings us to Episode 1…
Facebook is new to the live video space, but they will no doubt be a major player in distributing live content. Facebook Live, which was introduced in 2015, allows users to share and stream live video updates (imagine a world where you can live stream a video of the omelet you ordered for brunch instead of posting a boring still image). Facebook’s Live platform was initially only available to celebrities, but has since been rolled out to a larger percentage of their user base. The Live platform is a way for Zuckerberg and Co. to compete with Twitter’s Periscope, but this is not the only stride towards live video that Facebook is making. Starting earlier this week, Facebook and E! Entertainment have teamed up to launch a new, original series called “Live From E!” which can only be viewed on Facebook. The 15 to 20-minute live program – shot using an iPhone 6 Plus – airs weekdays at 12:30pm EST and is also available on E!’s website. But it doesn’t end there. For this year’s Oscar Awards, Facebook offered exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage from the red carpet and backstage that was only available on their site. And of course, there are the rumors that Facebook is eyeing the streaming rights for Thursday Night Football this coming season.
Facebook users are currently watching 100 MILLION HOURS of video content on the site PER DAY. And that doesn’t include video ads. If they continue to produce original content, this number will only go up. Facebook could undoubtedly become a major platform for delivering live, original content.
Tune into Episode 2 where we’ll take a look at another company contributing to the decline of broadcast television.
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