Will we regret the demise of tv channels

[Sweetcorn]

Will we regret the demise of tv channels in the future?

With the audience for 9pm weeknights especially low on all main channels becoming a regular thing, if we look ahead say another 5 years will this low ratings issue start taking effect on the 7 till 9 slots as well so nothing will hit 3 million mark?

The push to get online content over the years has speeded up the decline of BBC and itv and all main channels audience.
With such strong competition from streaming services unlike the battle with sky tv when it first launched this seems a totally unwinnable war.

Looking at BBC one if you take out the live broadcast of the news daily and it's stand out entertainment show strictly outside the hit Sunday night dramas the ratings are so low now especially at 9pm weeknights.

Not even EastEnders is getting much over 3million many nights now. So few shows outside news, strictly and a hit once a week drama seem to get above 5million now.

Itv has the hit soaps still but it's news output is always second to BBC ones and again the 9pm slots weeknights are constantly low.
Tv events like I'm a celebrity, Britains got talent, masked singer get the interest back but such as Saturday nights now without any tv event yearly shows ratings are so bad.

*All tv channels use the few hit shows left to advertise other output such as new dramas but as tv channels audience is getting lower and lower even at autumn and winter time without these go to live tv events like strictly now or I'm a celebrity what will the future hold the rest of the time and how can you attract people to new shows if audience is dropping yearly .

It seems impossible task now to launch new hits as remaining few are old formats look how long strictly has been shown now, but still have the event tv grab yearly.
So many 9pm weeknight dramas struggle to find even 3 million to watch now.

Will tv channels become just live tv focus with few recorded shows sandwiched in as seems at 9pm even a basic live format like the one show would do better than the flop dramas weeknights have .

Do tv channels have a future or is it inevitable binge watching and streaming will end them with tv channels mainly just vessel for live output like news and event tv at set times in the year.

Without the tv channel draw to see adverts for new shows and drama how can new things become hits ?

How without tv channels has Netflix such hits like squid games etc etc so should tv channels just follow same tactical ways less attempt at flop weeknight 9pm dramas more live chat , news, save cash for more event tv use streaming for dramas and other output in Netflix way ?

Do tv channels have a future outside live output news, sport and event tv like I'm a celebrity etc should 9pm weeknights actually be better as just live tv output zone and save the flop dramas investments.

[London Lite]

I personally thought EastEnders was better when they were streaming it on iPlayer in weekly blocks over the summer as you got something substantial watching 4x20 episodes in an evening instead of having to wait for the linear airing over four evenings.

I think that's the future for EastEnders as their target younger audience are becoming more likely to watch on catch-up over the linear broadcast, but they'll keep the scheduled linear broadcast, especially for older viewers and those who can't watch online.

Linear will become more event based to ensure they maintain audiences. Line of Duty this year was more event based than ever, using social media during the show and a weekly podcast on BBC Sounds to ensure viewers were able to discuss the show either while it was happening or afterwards to ensure they returned the following week.

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Will we regret the demise of tv channels in the future?

With the audience for 9pm weeknights especially low on all main channels becoming a regular thing, if we look ahead say another 5 years will this low ratings issue start taking effect on the 7 till 9 slots as well so nothing will hit 3 million mark?

The push to get online content over the years has speeded up the decline of BBC and itv and all main channels audience.
With such strong competition from streaming services unlike the battle with sky tv when it first launched this seems a totally unwinnable war.

Looking at BBC one if you take out the live broadcast of the news daily and it's stand out entertainment show strictly outside the hit Sunday night dramas the ratings are so low now especially at 9pm weeknights.

Not even EastEnders is getting much over 3million many nights now. So few shows outside news, strictly and a hit once a week drama seem to get above 5million now.

Itv has the hit soaps still but it's news output is always second to BBC ones and again the 9pm slots weeknights are constantly low.
Tv events like I'm a celebrity, Britains got talent, masked singer get the interest back but such as Saturday nights now without any tv event yearly shows ratings are so bad.

*All tv channels use the few hit shows left to advertise other output such as new dramas but as tv channels audience is getting lower and lower even at autumn and winter time without these go to live tv events like strictly now or I'm a celebrity what will the future hold the rest of the time and how can you attract people to new shows if audience is dropping yearly .

It seems impossible task now to launch new hits as remaining few are old formats look how long strictly has been shown now, but still have the event tv grab yearly.
So many 9pm weeknight dramas struggle to find even 3 million to watch now.

Will tv channels become just live tv focus with few recorded shows sandwiched in as seems at 9pm even a basic live format like the one show would do better than the flop dramas weeknights have .

Do tv channels have a future or is it inevitable binge watching and streaming will end them with tv channels mainly just vessel for live output like news and event tv at set times in the year.

Without the tv channel draw to see adverts for new shows and drama how can new things become hits ?

How without tv channels has Netflix such hits like squid games etc etc so should tv channels just follow same tactical ways less attempt at flop weeknight 9pm dramas more live chat , news, save cash for more event tv use streaming for dramas and other output in Netflix way ?

Do tv channels have a future outside live output news, sport and event tv like I'm a celebrity etc should 9pm weeknights actually be better as just live tv output zone and save the flop dramas investments.

Well, as someone was brought up and indeed worked for decades in TV, I'll still by habit watch traditional shows 'live' but of course use all sorts of catch-ups too. We're not bothered about soaps or game shows in our household, but despite lower viewer numbers they are still the 'banker' shows for the likes of commercial TV. Advertisers would rather higher percentage of viewers are in one place as it makes their accounts a bit easier to manage. We've been reading on other sections here about GBNews crowing over audiences LOWER than ITV regional news output, so depending what transmission deal they've set, THEY might consider a web delivery only and possibly have less regulatory ties too.

[XIII]

The death of linear TV has been greatly exaggerated. Channel 5 just scored 2m for Dalgliesh for example so untrue to say all dramas are flopping.

[Humphrey Hacker]

The death of linear TV has been greatly exaggerated. Channel 5 just scored 2m for Dalgliesh for example so untrue to say all dramas are flopping.

Linear TV isn't going anywhere in the near future and its not doing so because many people have an emotional attachment to the idea of BBC 1 etc on button 1, 101 etc and that a huge change like that will inevitably draw a ton of criticism.

[Dogorilla]

The death of linear TV has been greatly exaggerated. Channel 5 just scored 2m for Dalgliesh for example so untrue to say all dramas are flopping.

Also worth pointing out that:
- This year's The Drowning is Channel 5's most watched programme ever
- This year's Line of Duty finale got 12.8 million live viewers, the most for any non-soap drama since 2002
- The Euro 2020 final was the most watched broadcast in the UK since Diana's funeral (yes, this very much comes under sport/event TV, but it clearly shows there are a lot of people still willing to watch traditional TV)
- The BBC claims there's still a significant younger audience who watches linear TV, which is why they're bringing back BBC Three

[Sweetcorn]

Line of duty was again set up as event tv and had so many social media plugs . Again other high ratings for event tv or sports .
Is a audience of 2 million for a 9pm drama worth celebration ? Outside this no doubt more would stream the drama anyway?
What was last 9pm drama on a weeknight on BBC one not Sunday night 9pm that got at least 4million watching?
BBC one back to MasterChef this week with strictly ticking the event tv box but where's the pulling power of none event tv or news or sports gone?

[Brekkie]

You ask is 2m for a drama worthy of celebration but I suspect if Netflix and Amazon ever released figures which were truly comparable to BARB ratings rather than based on people watching 2 minutes of footage and aggregating all episode viewers together we'd probably find out that many of their big breakout dramas aren't doing much better than that themselves.

[XIII]

2m on BBC One or ITV wouldn’t be good for a drama but for BBC Two, Channel 4 and Channel 5, it would be fantastic.

This idea that drama needs to be removed from weekdays is frankly a load of baloney

[tellyblues]

One thing I will say about drama is the bottom will eventually fall out of the market for the LoD and Bodyguard clones and it will be difficult for viewers to be enticed back.