movies/tv What does cable's decline mean for Animation's future?

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

As we know, Cable TV is starting to become an outdated thing of the past. With many people dropping their expensive subscriptions and the new millennial generation deciding not to sign up, means cable networks are facing decline in ratings. Meanwhile, options like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Video continue to rise in popularity. Even kids, especially the lucrative 6-11 demographic, are starting to drift away from watching cable TV. So with Streaming TV on the rise and Cable on decline, what does this mean for the future of Animation?

 

Well for starters, I think we'll see the likes of Cartoon Network and such rely more on the internet than ever. We already see them doing this with Mighty Magiswords which is a CN Anything exclusive. They'll also find away to keep on air operations alive through rising options like Sling TV.

 

Second, unless they want to make a kids show, I doubt we're going to see many young creators go to networks like CN or Nick anymore, as services like YouTube are becoming a more attractive option since they can make what ever they want, and target it at whoever they want instead of network executives or advertisers telling them who their audience is.

 

Finally, I think we'll be seeing more Streaming services with both free and paid offerings. Netflix and such are fine, but not everyone wants to add another streaming subscription to their already large pile. Anime streamer Crunchyroll has taught us that offering a paid subscription shouldn't come at the cost of offering nearly your whole catalog for free. Twitch understands this too as their Twitch Turbo package doesn't come at the cost of it's free service, and I know there was a lot of initial outcry over YouTube Red, but it doesn't cripple the free service that's been available before, and like most of YouTube's changes, you'll get used to it eventually (not that you have to like all their changes mind you). And advertisers will also take advantage of Streaming as they begin to move away from cable TV to YouTube, Crackle, Twitch, etc.

 

So with that said, this is what I think is in store for animation in a post-cable world. What do you think will happen?

[Megas 28,129]

They'll just start putting them on Netflix or somewhere online

[NOX33 184]

The animations would probably be posted online and if they're lucky they get a lot of views. Or like episodes would be posted on youtube along the short clips too maybe. Like we see disney shorts online too so maybe they might move the episodes there just saying.

 

 

But probably the animators industry wouldn't decline because of movies like disney, dreamworks or public service anouncements or games would want to be on the rise. But like you said, probably the advertisers would shift from television adverts to online so more "skip ad" button or some other way people would think off just to get more money from adverts.

[PiratePony 8,491]

The same companies will just shift onto Netflix and Hulu, plus youtube if the money is right. Plus motion picture animation will remain strong, with sooner releases on streaming services. Even though cable is declining, there's still over 50 million subscribers in the US. That's more than there were in 1990.

 

The entertainment industry always finds a way to adapt. 

[simba86 1,541]

I wish i had cable! we have hughes net and direct tv and the way it is now I pay 100 dollars a month on internet that they put a download data limit on that makes it to where i can't stream movies or play games or do much of anything! hughes net is a NIGHTMARE! they allow me 15 GB per MONTH and we split that between 5 people

[PiratePony 8,491]

I wish i had cable! we have hughes net and direct tv and the way it is now I pay 100 dollars a month on internet that they put a download data limit on that makes it to where i can't stream movies or play games or do much of anything! hughes net is a NIGHTMARE! they allow me 15 GB per MONTH and we split that between 5 people

 

Are you in a locked in contract? If not, or once it's up, try and do the "promotion" game for a few years. This is where you bounce around between cable companies, sign up for their two-year promotional rate, then ditch them for another company. Then when that company's promotion is over, switch back to company #1 using another member of your household as the account holder. Or if you are happy with company #1, bounce between members of your household while you have them, just changing the account holder name every two years. And even after you've exhausted that, sometimes if you switch to another company, you can get a returning rate...not as low as the "new customer" promotion, but sometimes fair. The companies I've done this for is Cablevision and Verizon FIOS. I prefer cable because the wifi is fast and there are no limits in regards to speed. 

 

You can bounce around with car insurance rates too. It takes some phone calls, but I've literally saved hundreds of dollars because of these methods. 

 

You would think insurance and cable companies would reward you with loyalty rates...but they don't. They  nickle and dime you over time for not keeping them in check. 

[simba86 1,541]

Are you in a locked in contract? If not, or once it's up, try and do the "promotion" game for a few years. This is where you bounce around between cable companies, sign up for their two-year promotional rate, then ditch them for another company. Then when that company's promotion is over, switch back to company #1 using another member of your household as the account holder. Or if you are happy with company #1, bounce between members of your household while you have them, just changing the account holder name every two years. And even after you've exhausted that, sometimes if you switch to another company, you can get a returning rate...not as low as the "new customer" promotion, but sometimes fair. The companies I've done this for is Cablevision and Verizon FIOS. I prefer cable because the wifi is fast and there are no limits in regards to speed. 

 

You can bounce around with car insurance rates too. It takes some phone calls, but I've literally saved hundreds of dollars because of these methods. 

 

You would think insurance and cable companies would reward you with loyalty rates...but they don't. They  nickle and dime you over time for not keeping them in check. 

I think we have a contract with hughes net but we are switching to armstrong as soon as they get out here, we hate hughesnet so much we started a petition and got hundreds of people in our area to sign to show armstrong that we want there service out here and armstrong is now coming to our area in the spring because of it. we want cable because we can get phone,TV and internet through armstrong for what we are paying for just internet, we can't even get a land line telephone out here because verizon is pretty much all there is and they want 100 dollars a month for one line and my mom tried to get a landline with them once and she gave up after a solid hour of trying to get the guy on the other line to get our address right LOL I can't jump around between companies to much because there are not many that service my area.

[cmarston1 5,964]

Well with the rise of websites like Hulu and Netflix I have a feeling that animation is going to move even forward to digital distribution.

Edited January 12, 2016 by cmarston1

[cybershocker455 324]

As we know, Cable TV is starting to become an outdated thing of the past. With many people dropping their expensive subscriptions and the new millennial generation deciding not to sign up, means cable networks are facing decline in ratings. Meanwhile, options like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Video continue to rise in popularity. Even kids, especially the lucrative 6-11 demographic, are starting to drift away from watching cable TV. So with Streaming TV on the rise and Cable on decline, what does this mean for the future of Animation?

Well for starters, I think we'll see the likes of Cartoon Network and such rely more on the internet than ever. We already see them doing this with Mighty Magiswords which is a CN Anything exclusive. They'll also find away to keep on air operations alive through rising options like Sling TV.

Second, unless they want to make a kids show, I doubt we're going to see many young creators go to networks like CN or Nick anymore, as services like YouTube are becoming a more attractive option since they can make what ever they want, and target it at whoever they want instead of network executives or advertisers telling them who their audience is.

Finally, I think we'll be seeing more Streaming services with both free and paid offerings. Netflix and such are fine, but not everyone wants to add another streaming subscription to their already large pile. Anime streamer Crunchyroll has taught us that offering a paid subscription shouldn't come at the cost of offering nearly your whole catalog for free. Twitch understands this too as their Twitch Turbo package doesn't come at the cost of it's free service, and I know there was a lot of initial outcry over YouTube Red, but it doesn't cripple the free service that's been available before, and like most of YouTube's changes, you'll get used to it eventually (not that you have to like all their changes mind you). And advertisers will also take advantage of Streaming as they begin to move away from cable TV to YouTube, Crackle, Twitch, etc.

So with that said, this is what I think is in store for animation in a post-cable world. What do you think will happen?

You use gamefaqs? Because there's a thread that uses the same exact words that asks the same exact thing.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

You use gamefaqs? Because there's a thread that uses the same exact words that asks the same exact thing.

Yes, I do actually, I like to spread my topcs across multiple websites.

[Shanks 10,817]

In addition to steaming services like Netflix and Hulu which are aiming toward a broad audience you also have similar streaming services aiming toward a more specific audience as well. Two prominent examples of this are the WWE Network where you can see nearly all material they have that is 30 days old and above for $9,99 a month and get to see pay per views which normally cost around $50-$60 live and get to watch them again not long after they air, and Crunchy Roll which specializes in anime though also has Japanese movies and dramas. There is also Curiosity Stream which specializes in documentaries. It is entirely expected that we will see more of this specialization and may even see media companies directly streaming their own content as we already see with the WWE Network.

[cybershocker455 324]

Yes, I do actually, I like to spread my topcs across multiple websites.

In that case I'll say the same thing I said on gamefaqs: I'd love to see an original animated series from Netflix. I'd love it to be an action fantasy. Something that isn't another animated sitcom.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu will have to double down on getting more animated shows than just the thousand DreamWorks spinoffs that Netflix has, unless a specialty channel comes up. They're in a sort of limbo now. With these streaming services more directly accountable to their consumers, as well as the lesser importance of schedules, we hopefully won't see echoes of the poor executive decisions that plagued cable TV at times. The only thing I hope is that they order shows that look quite a bit different from what's on TV now and appeal to more general audiences.

[Nightfall Gloam 18,293]

I'm pretty confident that animation will continue to thrive, especially with streaming in all it's forms.