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How streaming destroyed TV: Analyzing the decline in quality, stability, and profitability

This college-level essay, formatted in MLA style for a film studies course, critically explores how streaming platforms have disrupted traditional TV’s quality, stability, and profitability. The essay discusses the shift from episodic viewing to binge-watching and its impact on viewer engagement and content creativity. In this paper, our essay writer argues that while streaming has increased content accessibility, it has undermined the financial models that supported diverse and quality programming and led to more homogeneous and risk-averse content. Additionally, this essay example considers the broader implications for both consumers and creators, suggesting that streaming may have fundamentally altered the landscape of television to the detriment of the industry.

* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.

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How Streaming Destroyed TV: The Decline of Quality, Stability, and Profitability

At first, the advent of streaming platforms, which allow viewers to access a library of

almost boundless content at a fraction of the cost of cable, was seen as the future of

television. However, instead, streaming has ruined television by encapsulating

binge-watching, taking away ad-supported revenue paths, and creating ultra-oppressed and

risk-averse content. On the one hand, these factors weakened the quality of TV shows,

undermined the financial sustainability of production companies, and left worse outcomes for

show creators and consumers alike. This essay claims that streaming ended traditional

television by instigating a binge-watch culture undermining creativity, stealing from viable

business models that helped support quality content, and shifting attention away from

constructive niche and innovative shows to broad market mediocrity.

Binge Watching Undermined the Creative Process and Viewer Engagement

One of the first ways of disrupting television, streaming platforms like Netflix, with their

binge-watching model, which encourages viewers to gorge on entire seasons of shows in one

sitting. Binge-watching was initially a novelty but it soon became a yardstick for streaming

companies that determined success for a show. Conover explains that streaming services

expect audiences to "binge the entire show as soon as it drops, and if we don’t, they cancel it"

(7:13). Binging on multiple shows is exactly what has killed the traditional television model,

a model where shows were released weekly allowing audiences to discuss and reflect on the

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episodes over time. The weekly release format also helped generate word-of-mouth

marketing, which contributed to the success of shows like Breaking Bad (7:53). By getting

rid of this momentum-building process, binge-watching takes away viewer involvement and

weakens a show’s cultural impact. As Conover notes, even expensive productions such as

House of the Dragon can quickly fade from public consciousness, leaving little time for

sustained discussion (8:25). The binge-watching model, therefore, sacrifices long-term

viewer investment in favor of immediate but short-lived attention, which ultimately weakens

the creative and cultural significance of television.

Abandoning Ad-Supported Revenue Models Eroded Industry Profitability

Another significant consequence of the rise of streaming has been the abandonment of the

ad-supported revenue models that once sustained the television industry. Traditional

television networks, whether broadcast or cable, relied on advertisements to generate

revenue, allowing them to produce a wide variety of content while keeping subscription costs

low for consumers. However, Netflix’s business model, which promised an ad-free

experience, forced legacy networks to abandon this profitable approach in order to compete.

Conover highlights how major networks, in an attempt to replicate Netflix’s success,

launched their own streaming services, such as Paramount+ and HBO Max, without ad

support (5:59). This shift proved disastrous because ad-supported TV had been the

cornerstone of the industry’s profitability for decades. As Conover explains, "advertising used

to fund almost the entire television industry" (4:51), and by eliminating this model, streaming

services set themselves up for financial failure. Despite increasing subscription fees,

streaming companies are now losing money, with platforms like Peacock and Warner

Brothers Discovery suffering billions in quarterly losses (3:18, 3:24). The decision to forgo

ads in favor of subscription revenue was a critical mistake that destabilized the economic

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foundation of television, making it harder for networks to sustain high-quality content

production.

Homogenized, Risk-Averse Content Has Replaced Niche and Innovative Programming

In their pursuit of becoming global monopolies, streaming platforms have also compromised

the diversity and quality of content available to viewers. Before the rise of streaming,

television networks catered to specific audiences by developing unique brands, such as

Comedy Central, which focused on edgy comedies, or FX, known for its innovative dramas

(12:08). These brands fostered creative risks, resulting in groundbreaking shows that pushed

the boundaries of television. However, Conover explains that Netflix’s goal to "be everything

to everyone" forced networks to abandon their niche identities in favor of mass-market

content (12:45). As a result, programming has become increasingly homogenized, with

streaming services producing shows that are designed to appeal to the broadest possible

audience rather than catering to specific tastes. This shift can be likened to the creation of

"flavorless pap," where the focus is on making shows that everyone tolerates, rather than

taking risks to create something new and different (Conover 15:08). This homogenization has

led to a decline in the overall quality of television, as platforms prioritize quantity over

creativity, producing short, bingeable series that are quickly forgotten.

The Shift to Streaming Has Harmed Both Consumers and Creators

Finally, the shift to streaming has created worse outcomes for both consumers and the

creators who make television shows. While the initial promise of streaming was that it would

save consumers money, Conover reveals that today, the cost of subscribing to the top

streaming services exceeds the price of traditional cable (0:21). Yet despite paying more,

consumers are receiving less value, as many streaming platforms deliver fewer episodes,

cancel shows prematurely, and eliminate entire genres, such as game shows and late-night

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programming, from their content libraries (3:02-9:37). Creators, too, have suffered under the

streaming model. Writers, actors, and crew members who once thrived under the traditional

TV model are now struggling to make a living, as streaming platforms reduce the number of

shows they produce and offer fewer job opportunities (18:29). As Conover points out, the

industry has seen mass layoffs, and despite gains made during the 2023 writers’ strike, many

workers in Hollywood are still struggling to find consistent work (18:39). The streaming

revolution, rather than benefiting consumers and creators, has left both groups worse off.

Conclusion

In outline, the rise of streaming platforms has had a devastating impact on the television

industry. The binge-watching model has eroded viewer engagement and creativity, while the

abandonment of ad-supported revenue has destabilized the financial foundations of TV

production. Additionally, the homogenization of content has reduced the diversity and quality

of programming, leaving audiences with fewer innovative shows. Both consumers and

creators are paying the price for the unsustainable model that streaming platforms introduced.

What was once hailed as the future of television has instead contributed to its decline, leaving

a landscape where quality has diminished, jobs have been lost, and viewers are left paying

more for less.

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Work Cited

Conover, Adam. “How Streaming Destroyed TV.” YouTube, 23 Aug. 2024,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCvbW7bLS-o. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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Academic level:

Undergraduate 1-2

Type of paper:

Essay

Discipline:

Film studies

Citation:

MLA

Pages:

4 (1041 words)