We are living in a consumer society. There is binge eating, binge shopping, and now it’s binge watching and listening. We used to wait for another episode of our favorite show for a whole week, now we can watch it anytime. Some of us remember recording their favorite songs from the radio to a cassete tape, now we stream music, too. We don’t waste our time on things we don’t like anymore, such as ad breaks and annoying morning radio dj’s talks.
Our life is changing with every year. The way we work and entertain ourselves alters too. From coworking and offices we moved to home offices. Entertainment often takes place at home in front of a screen these days, which is not always healthy. This all leaves us with the following thought: what else is going to change in the same way? Are we going to stream food from the grocery shop? What about binge working? Binge family time? Where is bindge consumption leading us? Noone knows yet, but there are awesome things coming our way anyway!
Streaming Is Here to Stay
Remember when streaming sites were said to be just a fad, that such sites would never have staying power? More than a decade later, not only have streaming sites had staying power, they are still going strong and are here to stay. Their stock, such as FUBO stock, is reflective of this.
To the chagrin of network and even cable TV, the streaming giants are serving the viewer in ways that these traditional networks never could and likely never will be able to match. Year after year, more and more streaming networks are created like Peacock, Disney+, fuboTV, along with the powerhouses like Netflix, Amazon, Google, and HBO.
Streaming Has Replaced Cable TV
Cutting the cord is a saying these days. It relates to how people forgo spending money on cable and satellite TV, choosing instead to only rely on their paid streaming media subscriptions for all their viewing needs. At one point, it seemed like this was just something that couldn’t really catch on, but now there are dozens of streaming platforms and apps. A cord-cutter could even get a local TV channel package if they need network and local TV service.
Companies like Amazon, with their Prime service, have even had hardware specifically created for cutting the cord. It is called Amazon Fire. It is an HDMI plug-in device that comes with a remote control. This makes the transition from cordless simple and profitable.
With the creation of Smart TVs and their IN-TV apps, a viewer can click over to their favorite streaming service without having a cable service. This has made it so simple to cut the cord and free oneself from traditional programming providers.
Streaming Sites Have Some of the Best Critically Acclaimed Shows
How exactly did streaming sites take over the mind of the people? Was it some sort of Harry Potter magic (yes, you can stream all of the Harry Potter movies on a streaming site and binge them at your leisure), but, no, it was not magic that has created the accelerated growth of streaming services. It was instead the quality and the variety of the programming. From comedic, deep, dark, profound, silly, educational, and everything in between the cracks of every viewing genre, streaming sites have a show or movie that anyone will enjoy.
Streaming Sites Created Binge-Watching and Binge-Worthy Nomenclature
The ability to watch a show in one go is called binge-watching. It became a thing when Netflix released ALL of its programmings in one go. No longer do people need to sit in front of the TV one day a week to get their favorite show fix. This model that all other streaming platforms have copied has become the norm. It is how people prefer to watch shows. They like to get caught up with the story and not quit until they are ready. Some might blow through every episode in one day, others a few days, some a week.
The binge worthiness of a show determines its success. If people can’t get enough of it, they binge-watch these shows. Another benefit for original content providers is that they nearly instantly, within a week or two, know if they have a hit or not. For the viewer, it means no more loving a show and having it end in the middle of the season, or without a final like network TV is known to do.
There is also a marketing advantage where the better the show is, it instantly becomes the talk of the town and the talk of the internet. You will see meme after meme and the fandom grows. If you are on the fence, you instantly want to jump in and join the binge train. You need to catch up or else you face spoilers from the world of social media, pop culture, the company coffee machine, your local Starbucks, or any other such place where the masses share what they have been watching.
You can find out what is hot, what becomes pop culture, niche culture, or any other such label for shows that become “must-see” TV. Streaming has created this entire viewing culture that is beneficial as much for the viewer as it is the financiers of such programming.
