WSJ reports that streaming services are now hammering cable ratings

[mike123abc]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...U1x4WIT8_fL76rCRQ&sig2=SFI_GhvRxpboy-9Lv2BcCA

The WSJ is reporting that 40% of the third and forth quarters of 2014 viewership declines were because of streaming services like Netflix.

Rich Greenfield, of BTIG Research, says the average Netflix home is watching more than 100 minutes of the service a day. There’s “no doubt overall video consumption is growing,” but subscription video-on-demand “viewing is eating into TV ratings,” he said.

Many TV network executives have blamed at least some of the ratings declines on outdated measurement systems that are failing to capture the true viewing of their programming on digital platforms. They say they aren’t getting full credit for viewing on mobile devices, for example.

But some executives are starting to acknowledge that subscription video services like Netflix are stealing viewers from TV. Over the past few years media companies have found a new and fast-growing revenue stream from licensing content to streaming players.

Of course this does lead to a chicken and the egg problem. If networks fall victim to Netflix, who is going to make all the shows that Netflix ends up buying to show on its service? I realize that Netflix/Amazon are starting to make some new series, most of their content is shows that were once on commercial channels.

 

[jayn_j]

In addition, who is going to be providing the wire to the home for the internet connection these things stream over?

Worry not? Comcast, TWC, Verizon, etc will continue to get your $$ at monopoly rates. If not cable, then by increased broadband fees.

 

[mike123abc]

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Nielsen-Traditional-TV-Viewing-Dropped-10-Last-Quarter-132950

Another blurb on this subject:

Roughly two in five Americans now subscribe to some form of Internet streaming service, while traditional TV viewing dropped 10% in the last quarter of 2014, according to new data from Nielsen. Despite downplaying the cord cutting phenomenon for years, Nielsen was slow to embrace tracking Internet video, something they've only recently chosen to remedy. Nielsen's Latest study shows that cord cutting is very real, though not as prevalent as people that are trimming down traditional cable packages.

 

[jayn_j]

Nielson has always been late to the party. They didn't start including cable channels until the late 90's.