The traditional video marketplace is no more. Driven by a combination of technologies including high-speed internet access, billions of mobile devices, and falling prices for high-resolution displays, television as we have known it for decades is undergoing a radical reinvention, one that will reshape the media ecosystem. Just in the last few months, game-changing streaming services have been announced or launched from industry giants including Disney and NBCUniversal, spurred in part by billion-dollar investments from newer entrants such as Netflix, Google, and Apple.
For Streaming Services, Navigating Generational Differences Is Key
Driven by a combination of technologies including high-speed internet access, billions of mobile devices, and falling prices for high-resolution displays, television as we have known it for decades is undergoing a radical reinvention, one that will reshape the media ecosystem. Streaming services have been announced or launched from industry giants including Disney and NBC Universal, spurred in part by billion-dollar investments from newer entrants such as Netflix, Google, and Apple. As incumbents scramble to respond to technical, business, and regulatory challenges posed by innovative disruptors, investors and consumers alike are wondering who will win the fight for new media supremacy. In the next phase of the so-called “streaming wars,” those hoping to find a profitable niche — or even just to sort through the dizzying array of options they’re being offered as consumers — need to understand the unique characteristics of the different demographics in play: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z.