In the fall of 1957, American Bandstand became among only a few television programs to broadcast nationwide. The program featured young kids dancing to the latest music industry chart-toppers and had every teenager in America running home from school and tuning in to the ABC station. From 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM, Dick Clark had that generation’s youngsters captivated with rock ’n roll and dancing. American Bandstand became the afternoon’s must watch program in many American households.
Scheduling your day around a TV guide so you don’t miss your favorite program has long since passed into memory and American Bandstand may seem like a forgotten program of the past, but even today’s live programming could be fading away. Live television broadcasting has become the second choice for audiences as they watch their favorite movies and television shows.
From cable TV to computers, the technologies for television and movie broadcasting has evolved. Today, many people are moving away from traditional live programming and, instead, streaming movies and television shows on multiple devices. Deloitte’s “Digital Democracy Survey,” explains that 56% of Americans stream movies into their homes, while 53% stream TV shows on a monthly basis. Compared to the 45% of Americans who prefer the traditional live television programming, streaming services have officially overtaken live programming as the ideal way for consumers to engage with videos.
Video streaming service providers including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Plus, and many more are available for a small monthly fee, but the intent of each service is the same. The popularity of services like the ones previously mentioned is due to the accessibility they offer to their audiences. The survey tells us that 60% of movies are being streamed to devices like computers, tablets, and smartphones. Video streaming services have optimized their programs to fit the lifestyle of each and every person who subscribes with their brand.
With literally thousands of videos at their disposal, consumers of these streaming services have turned to “binge-watching.” This is the act of a single person watching three or more episodes in a single sitting. It’s not hard to imagine when you think of the last episode of any action show. The cliff-hanger ending at the end of each episode once caused a week of agonizing wait and wonder for the next week’s episode. Today, that same ending only fuels our excitement to click the next episode. How many times have you told yourself, “I’m just going to watch one more;” and the next time you look at the clock, you’ve watched the first full season of Game of Thrones and it’s 3:30 in the morning.
This binge-watching technique has provided smart advertisers with the opportunity to connect with more of their customers for longer periods of time. American Bandstand was created because ABC network couldn’t compete with the high broadcasting budgets of NBC and CBS. In an effort to attract viewers, American Bandstand targeted a younger audience by highlighting the fun and high spirited life of a teenager. Similarly, with 90% of today’s Americans saying they engage in multitasking daily, advertisement have become tailored to specific audiences.
Deloitte’s survey found that consumers prefer watching digital ads while streaming videos over ads on live programming. The survey says 75% of consumers are more willing to multitask during live television ads. Also, 62% say they would watch ads if it meant lowering their cost of streaming service subscription.
The days of American Bandstand may be gone, but the singing and dancing of American teenagers will always be with us for a monthly subscription and paid membership to today’s video streaming services.
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