There are many substantial changes were happening in the digital media environment which provide an excellent opportunity for the viewers for retrieving the programs and content through the television set any time and becoming independent from the programs in which the linear TV was offering. The linear programming and its redemption had opened many opportunities for viewers with the options of recording their favorite program with ease.
Television had transformed the digital technology and the internet. The traditional TV is fetching enough revenue and sharing real ad revenue across all other media forms. The online video is growing complementarily with TV advertising. There is a change in the viewing behavior too with the rise of digital technologies and mobile video consumption rates.
The adoption of smartphone and 4G technology had significantly influenced the traditional TV viewing. The video distribution was moved towards the high-quality output.
Linear TV
The Live television watched as per schedule in contrast with pre-recorded television, or VOD is called as a the linear television. The linear TV is just a traditional television viewing.
Today we have many options to watch the video content and majority of people are using the different online media and VODs to view the content.
However, still, the traditional TV or linear TV had a high demand and was gaining real revenue across the world. Many countries still prefer this TV instead of other ways for watching their favorite programs.
Advent of digital transmission
The global broadcasting sector was developed in a mixed economy and companies are generating their revenue with the advertising, subscription fee, and the public revenues.
The broadcasters are getting funds from these three ways by aiming to transmit their broadcasts to the larger number of people.
The number of TV channels also increased leads to the fragmented viewing of channels based on their interest. The Pay TV is continuous to grow and penetrating into the existing markets.
Though there are many other options to watch the television network, people are habituated to catch the remote and comfortably watching their favorite live shows.
Global overview of Pay TV sector
The broadcasting industries were emerging and Pay TV was still accounting significant revenue to a great proportion from different countries across the globe.
Between the year 2009 and 2014, the global pay-TV revenues were increased with 7.5 % CAGR rate.
The global Pay TV was still growing in 2017. Middle East, Africa and South America are the top Pay Tv viewers, and it was expected to be increased.
North America is the biggest Pay TV user, and the CAGR rates are increased 8 percent in 2017 and projected to increase in future too.
Linear TV in the context of Advertising
Since from the last five years, the rise of mobile and online was characterized by the advertisers. The new papers and magazines are lost their importance and hence declined. The CAGR rates have become down annually.
It is due to arise in the interactive advertising. However, TV advertising is still in the stable state.
It is driven primarily by the economic factors. The brand advertisers are loyal to the medium and still using traditional television for their marketing goals.
In the year 2014, the television advertising revenue was reached 155.4 billion across the globe and remained as the largest advertising medium.
The television remains its share to 40 percent in the total advertising revenue after the advent of social media and online advertising.
Traditional Television platforms
The terrestrial TV services depend upon the transmission towers and go with the signal through VHF or UHF. They typically reserve for the short range of communication and restricted to go far that makes them ideal for usage on TV as well as the radio broadcasting.
However, the careful management of the geographical borders as the national broadcast may interfere one another and hence required the transmission towers.
The cable TV services are the first non-terrestrial medium that depends on different methods of transmissions. Operators who have no two-way systems are relying on the DTH and OTT to satisfy the customers.
Online Vs Linear TV
Though online television is always a buzz, the linear TV still has strong roots and capturing the daily viewing time than the online television.
Linear TV is not dying
Many think that online TV had crushed the traditional or linear television viewing and it might impact on the liner television viewers by showing fatal activity. However, it is not true.
The daily TV watching was steady and online programming was matched and captured the increasing amount of time, and it is clear that it is still emerging.
Younger people prefer online TV
The age groups between 16 to 24 years are watching more online TV than the linear TV. They are watching at least one hour at an average.
When it comes to age-based, the above age groups are active to watch online TV instead Linear TV shows.
People in US and UK are still in love with linear TV. They have a good range of OTT services. They have a higher proportion of internet users in older groups.
VPNs are one of the linear TV trends
The VPN and proxy servers help the audience to go around the world broadcasts where they can access the content that is not available for their country.
This trend becomes the major implication for the content providers. The usage of VPN varies from country to country.
People are connected with the linear TV from years and habituated to be the same excitement for their favorite shows in a planned way. With the advent of set up boxes and recording technology, the linear TV viewers are still attached and increased their watching time.
However, when comes to the young generation, they like to be more portable and accessing the TV online instead of choosing and waiting for the programs to be broadcasted per the schedule of linear TV in general.
The Television consumption rates varies across the globe, and it is clear that linear TV is still ruling the space than the online TV today.
What exactly the Linear TV mean?
A Linear TV is a traditional television which offers the scheduled programs on television for viewers. The viewer has to watch the particular show at a particular time.
Let us go through the things deeper towards the linear TV.
Linear TV Vs On-demand TV
Linear TV is what we are already get connected from years and it stood as a pillar though we have fast internet speeds and able to access the on-demand content online.
People love to watch big events on TV
People still love to watch the more significant events like interactive shows, sports, and news on Television rather than the internet. People, love real time experience and love to watch, discuss the same that happened on the television. It is a clear indication that linear TV does not die and it is still active and alive in future too.
Older people’s choice
The majority of linear TV viewers are aged around 36 to 64. They do not know how to deal technically to watch the on-demand content online. Hence, they love to watch all shows on TV rather than online on demand content.
On demand TV
The on-demand TV is nothing but the pre-recorded and own schedule TV which you can access through some applications using the internet. This TV can be accessed based on your free time without bothering about the scheduled programs.
21st-century trend
On demand, TV is the trending one, gadgets like chrome cast, smart TVs, Augmented reality, etc are catching everyone’s eye at one shot and allows the people to personalize.
Linear TV Vs OTT
The Over the top content is used in the broadcasting and tech related reporting that refer to the media transmitted to the people via internet without multi-cable operator and satellite systems.
Low price
OTT offers low monthly pricing which starts from $5 along with the content on YouTube and Hulu. It just needs installation on your laptop or mobile. There will be a wide choice that offers the original programming just like cable TV.
The main cons, when compared the OTT with the linear television, is the quality. The quality of services mainly depends upon the speed of the internet connection. You need to pay for internet connection along with the OTT charges whereas; the linear TV offers the real-time high-definition programs at minimal cost.
What is Linear Video consumption?
The time spent by the viewers on this TV programs other than IPTV, VOD and OTT services per day and the viewing behavior calculates the total linear video consumption rates. People aged between 36 to 65 years are watching linear TV daily. They said that they love watching real-time content rather than pre-recorded content.
More than 60 percent people in the US are like to watch linear TV when it comes to four categories like sports, live shows, reality shows, and news related content.
Linear TV advertising and streaming
Linear TV advertising is targeting the people based on the location and geographical target. More precise targeting ways are already followed by the marketers to advertising and brand their product or services. The TV commercials are still ruling the advertising world and getting a considerable response in the total sales after the campaigns.
Linear TV advertising costs basing on the program, time and many other factors and the analytics is only the biggest weak point in linear TV advertising
Finally, linear TV is more competing with the other service providers irrespective of the way and type of services they are offering to the people. It does not die, and it will mean a lot to the people in future also.
Finally, Linear TV is not much affected by the online TV viewing, and it was still steady in its growth.