Clarion Content

Binge viewing victim

If you have Netflix or own a DVR cable box, you probably already know from the title of this article what it is about, binge viewing is fairly self-explanatory. It will probably sound like a Stone Age myth to the Millennials' children that we once had to wait a week for a new episode of a television show to come out.

Already the way Netflix and the DVR let us consume television programs has altered habits of both the viewers and the creators of TV shows. The Walls Street Journal notes, "In 2009, Netflix members would watch an average 4.5 episodes per week of a serialized show. Now they watch 6.1 episodes per week, an increase of 38%." Binging as a way of watching television is on the increase.

This is going to drastically alter the revenue model for television programming.¹ The WSJ again, "Bingeing breaks habits that have long supported the TV business, built on advertising and syndicated reruns. TV executives are torn by the development: gratified that people are gorging on their product, frustrated because it's a TV party that all-important advertisers aren't invited to."

The bad news is this probably means more blurring of the line between storytelling content and advertising, much like the trend with the product placement we have seen in the movies.


Notes
¹(and already is)

Labels: Pop Culture, television