An article that ponders the question: How close to being obsolete are these once-traditional forms of entertainment, and how are new formats and options changing the landscape forever?
by: Lucy Roberts
In life, it has been said that everything changes. In many ways, it is true. Nothing stays the same forever, and things are constantly moving, shifting, evolving, developing. Though there are many social, political, economic, scientific, and commercial perspectives from which we could examine this claim, I want to focus on something that we all have some involvement in. One way or another, entertainment is something we all look for and enjoy. Indeed, it is an industry, a sector, that perhaps even personifies how things are always evolving.
For billions around the world, many forms of entertainment are shared experiences but, as time has moved on, so have the available forms of entertainment changed. It could be said that the previously considered “traditional” ways to enjoy things have been eclipsed by the new.
Watching films, for example, used to be confined to cinemas, where we would all go to watch together, before streaming was even possible, and before cable television provided this option at home. In the past, similarly, enjoying some downtime playing poker, roulette, or even the slots at the local or famous casinos was a popular pastime, a much-loved thing to do, usually with friends, but sometimes solo.
Now, though, we don’t have to head to the casino for the gambling fun. We can play video poker online with no such need to suit up and go out. The same is true of so many forms of entertainment beyond video poker, where we can now be digital in terms of access. So just how close to being obsolete are these once-traditional forms of entertainment, and how are new formats and options changing the landscape forever? Time to delve in.
Audiences Apart: Changing Habits Making Share Viewing A Nostalgic Notion
Before the emergence of the internet, television shows were watched by millions upon millions, sometimes half or more of the population at the same time – particularly back when television was no more than two or three channels. In the USA, for example, big shows would attract massive audiences, with so-called “prime time television” being something that whole chunks of the population would come together to enjoy when the broadcast was live.
This was, of course, before the days of TIVO, digital recording capabilities, and the now ubiquitous “on-demand” digital landscape, the epitome of “catch up” or “watch when you want” television, movies, and other content.
Streaming, of course, now allows the so-called “binge-watch” consumption of entire series on demand. This has become, to millions around the world, the new normal, so to say. What this has done is put the viewer, consumer, customer in control of their entertainment schedule. Whether that is a whole new season of House of The Dragon or the entire back catalogue of Game of Thrones, watching whenever and wherever you want has pretty much replaced watching things at a set broadcasting hour.
Between this and the ability to store huge amounts on digital hard drive boxes, television content may still have traditional schedules, but when it is watched is no longer determined by when it is broadcast. This evolution is constant, with some shows and movies not even getting broadcast on networks, and instead only being available on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. As I said, watching the same shows at the same time as other viewers now seems almost nostalgic, and as streaming and on-demand change viewing habits irrevocably, content makers now know that this is the best way to ensure audiences… by giving them control over the schedules.
Digital Devices Delivering Accessible Entertainment Driven By Streaming Demand
When I say that there is an entertainment evolution in my article header, I mean this in the most constant sense. As technology advances daily, the emergence of new devices is one of the main reasons that our entertainment content consumption habits are so constantly changing.
Streaming subscription revenue and in-game paid options, for example, are constantly on the rise. What does this show? Well, in one sense, it shows that the marketplace demand for paid digital content options is a massive commercial success.
If you want to understand this, it is important to look at the device market. As billions of people around the world now use digital devices that are portable, online, and capable of streaming full HD content, it is clear that this is an entertainment evolution that is being driven by a combination of technology and consumer demand.
We all see that as tech advances, customers want more digitally available entertainment content in terms of both quality and quantity. One glance at the top streaming service traffic showcases this point, and those viewing habits are clearly here to stay.
With mobile and wearable tech carrying more and more content each day, and the younger generation now choosing to stream their media rather than watching television, it is clear that the traditional way of consuming televisual or cinematic content is diminishing. Yes, television is still there; of course, cinemas are still around, but the shifting sands of digital entertainment mean they are always playing catch up in the world of our entertainment evolution.
