Television is a medium that has existed for a very long time with very little change or competition until very recently. This means that they were able to exist without needing to constantly update their business model, which has led to limitations in how fast they are now able to adapt to the changing market.

Recent emerging companies like YouTube, Netflix and Hulu are examples of the competition facing traditional television providers and networks. These companies have all centered their business model on making viewing television shows easier and more convenient. They are also exposing traditional television provider’s flaws and limitations that have resulted from decades of relative stagnancy by offering products that offer basically everything cable television offers but in a much more portable and accessible format. YouTube offers highlights from television episodes like late night talk shows so that the viewer doesn’t have to watch the less interesting parts that come along with watching it from a cable or satellite provider. They are also offering the opportunity for people to both create an view original content that is drastically different than what is offered on television, which fills a niche market where content can be tailored to a very specific audience or released at a much faster pace then the traditional one new episode per week. One of the strongest examples highlighting that services like YouTube are dominating the modern television landscape is the enormous number of platforms that they have designed applications for to make accessing content as painless as possible. The modern phone, iPad, Xbox and even some television screens all have native apps to make accessing YouTube, Netflix and Hulu as seamless as possible.

Going forward, I think that the traditional television providers could attack the Internet and mobile markets much more aggressively. While some do currently have applications for some of the devices I listed earlier, they are also missing from a lot of other important devices and often times are not nearly as intuitive or user friendly as the newer competitions. Another issue is that because the television providers have to make agreements with the networks actually producing the content, their apps become limited because networks limit which providers can have access to their online content based on contract terms. So while Netflix and YouTube can go after specific content, often times providers have to sign a deal big enough to allow access to all content versus just a few different series. The other major issue that limits televisions reach for the modern day viewer is cost. Services like Netflix and Hulu are less than $10 a month and offer an enormous catalog of both film and television shows that can be accessed basically anywhere where you can find an Internet connection. These services can also be cancelled at anytime if they are no longer wanted. In contrast, a cable or dish subscription comes with at least a year minimum commitment and can cost anywhere from $50 to $150+ a month and are really only convenient to access at home. So a higher cost with less convenience is something that they should address if they want to be able to compete with the new companies on the block.

In summary, television as a medium is changing greatly thanks to a small number of companies streamlining the viewing process. If the traditional outlets want to be able to continue to compete with these new companies they must alter their business model and become much more easy to access while on the go or on your laptop.