Expert Opinion | Viewer Behaviour


WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN AGE


There has been much talk recently about how we are experiencing a ‘Golden Age’ for television. Stella Medlicott, CMO for Red Bee Media, looks behind the screen at the underlying business models.


Stella Medlicott | Red Bee Media


Stella Medlicott, CMO, Red Bee Media


TV viewers have never had it so good. From Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead (to name but a few) in the US to the likes of Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Dr Who emanating from the UK. But what is it that has made this a great time for TV and, as business models and viewer behaviours continue to change, how much longer can we expect it to continue?


One reason is, as ever, money. As Derek Thomson has argued in The Atlantic online magazine, the so- called ‘Golden Age’ can be traced back to the rise of cable channels, in particular HBO, which led the way with a business model based around subscriptions, rather than advertising.


Channels dependent on viewer subscriptions need to attract loyal subscribers, not just casual viewers. And they quickly found that the best way to do that is to create ‘must see’ shows like The Sopranos and Sex and The City that would keep viewers tuning in month after month and that would justify a monthly fee.


Another factor to consider is the changing way that we consume content. We all know that the way we engage with TV series has changed. Previously, you’d have to tune in at the right date and time (or programme your clunky VCR) in order to catch your favourite shows.


Today, these programmes are, in more ways than one, genuinely unmissable. Forget to tune in for


36 | May/June 2013 | ibeconnects.com


the latest episode of, say, Game of Thrones and you can simply catch up on Sky Go. As such, hit shows are increasingly made as much for the DVD boxset and on-demand market as they are for linear viewing.


And, as viewers become more loyal to shows and content becomes more accessible, content makers have been able to push the boundaries further, making shows that are more ambitious and more complex: a trend that has been referred to in some quarters as the ‘novelisation’ of TV.


These trends are driving a convergence between content creators and content platforms. As content creators become increasingly focused on delivering


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