Streaming edges broadcast, cable out of favor

Broadcast and cable television networks are in some serious pain right now. For as massive as streaming is, for the most part, cable and broadcast networks were able to squeak by and be at least half of the population’s entertainment. Well, that’s changed.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the two network types have fallen below 50%. Now, it’s not a crazy drastic drop, it’s not like it went from 60% to 30.5%, but rather, it’s the implications that streaming really is becoming a mainstay as this is the third consecutive month streaming has grown, and can eventually take a stronger majority of the entertainment industry’s viewership pie.

Overall, TV usage was up, but that was mostly due to streaming, with only 20% accounting for linear TV. Cable, meanwhile, went from 30.6% to 29.6%, We know these numbers may sound insignificant, but trust us, those numbers are giant. This is the first time that broadcast and cable TV dipped below 50%.

This is not only a telling sign of the streaming future, but also a compelling argument that SAG-AFTRA could feasibly make. TV networks aren’t the powerhouses anymore, streaming services are king, and yet, however difficult it may be to figure out a model to pay residuals properly, it should still be considered.