Where’s the remote? What’s on TV tonight? Is it my turn to pick what we watch? It’s such a nice night – why can’t I watch the game out on the porch?
These were the questions we’d been asking each other for decades. And then seemingly overnight we all stopped. Why? Because the remote is now your smartphone. And because you know what’s on TV when you can watch pretty much watch anything on demand. And because you never have to take turns picking what to watch when every device in the house works as a TV. And because you can watch the game on the porch thanks to Wi-Fi. All of this is because of the explosion in apps–those purpose-built software applications that turn the smart devices we’ve come to depend on into almost anything we can imagine–even TVs.
It’s all happening thanks to TV Everywhere products which features dozens of the top networks and their best programs. Newer services include Sling TV, which just became available on Google’s Chromecast and is streaming live programming. Also, Time Warner Cable, which is in a trial to open up streaming TV services to its Internet-only customers via Roku. Similarly, Charter Communications released the Spectrum TV App last month on Roku, giving its TV customers the ability to watch their favorites on any television in their home without a set-top box.
Apple TV’s latest update is another example of the future of TV through apps. Apple TV now features an app store, offering universal apps that work on phones, tablets, and TVs. We all have more choices, flexibility, conveniences and freedom with the advancements made in device compatibility and Internet connectivity.
All of these moves say a lot about the direction the entertainment industry is going–mainly that TV and Internet devices are becoming one and the same, and apps are the primary driver behind this merge.
There’s no question–the marketplace is exploding with premium TV competition. Even the New York Times recently asked, “Is There Too Much TV to Choose From?” The answer may vary on your perspective but we undeniably are enjoying a new Golden Age of TV. And the apps revolution is not only driving innovation, but it offers consumers the flexibility and unity needed in a rapidly evolving digital world.
To learn more about how the apps approach has transformed the video marketplace and the way we watch and think about television, check out our web page dedicated to the future of apps.
This blog also appeared in CTAM SmartBrief.