Within a few years, the notion that millions of Americans would actually settle onto their sofas at a specific hour every Tuesday night to watch “Earl” will be as laughable as the sitcom itself.
We’re at the dawn of a new age, an on-demand world where big network execs no longer program our lives. We do. We’ll watch our favorite shows when we want to watch them – with or without commercials.
CBS and NBC last week launched the most user-friendly television idea since, well, TiVo, but with a price most everyone can afford. Within hours of some of the networks’ top programs being aired, consumers can buy them for 99 cents an episode to watch whenever they want, commercial free.
Last month, Disney, which owns ABC, announced a similar plan, allowing viewers to download some of its hits, including “Desperate Housewives,” onto iPods, handheld devices made by Apple. Each show costs $1.99 but can be viewed in the living room or anywhere an iPod can go.
On-demand viewing has been available on some cable outlets for a few years, but this is the first time network TV has gotten into the act. It’s an act of desperation, since the Big Three – NBC, CBS and ABC – has watched viewership decline over the years, but also a nod to reality. Boomers grew up with three TV networks and a handful of UHF stations. Their grandchildren have access to hundreds of channels, and now they’ll be able to watch whenever they want to.
The changes are roiling Madison Avenue. Since more people are fast-forwarding through commercials, expect to see more product placements within shows – a Desperate Housewife guzzling a Coca-Cola, for example.
The NBC and CBS decision to provide programming for 99 cents won’t revolutionize television viewing overnight when it begins next year. CBS’s programming will be available only to Comcast digital cable subscribers, while NBC’s will be fed only to homes equipped with DirecTV digital recorders. But the revolution is coming, and it will be televised.
