We are witnessing a revolution that is happening in the world of television. Until relatively short time, the major TV networks had the control over this market. They were the only ones who had the ability to broadcast audio-visual content, having invested heavily in the acquisition of licenses, telecommunications infrastructure and content.
Content producers were depending on those TV networks and the advertising agencies were responsible for providing income for the channels through the campaigns of their customers. The TV viewers were at the mercy of the chains, forced to watch, whatever they wanted to show and at the time they wanted. These consumers had to endure, without any way to complain of the abuse: excessive advertising, program tardiness, disruption of the issuance of a series without warning or providing any information about its continuity, unwatchable programming, etc.
With the advent of the Internet and advances in communications technology and video compression, the consumer market has emerged and begun to seek alternative ways to enjoy the content they want to see, when they want to see it.
Furthermore, telecommunications providers have seen an opportunity to enter directly into this market, and begin to appear new products that complement the portfolio of voice and Internet.
The world of technology has also seen the business opportunity, so begin to offering systems that exploit the information stored on the network and make the consumer experience more enjoyable. Examples are Google, Apple and Yahoo.
Other companies involved in the film world have also noticed some barriers fall, and come before them a vast field waiting to be exploited, this is the case of Netflix which is expanding its video rental business.
Content producers and advertising agencies are realizing that their market is expanding and with new customers.
But this is no the end. This revolution is just beginning and certainly we can not imagine how it will end. Content producers will join with advertisers; creating a new line for promotion within the content (this is not new). The companies that own the lines of communication will begin to differentiate the service, applying different rates depending on usage. The big chains will complain of unfair competition and try to ally with one of the new technology players, with the intention of creating new content distribution centers.
I do not think that we can know how this is going to end, but I just hope that we, the consumers, become the winners, so we will be able to see what we want to see, when we want to see it, in the device we want, and at a reasonable price (not necessarily money).
