Why Linear TV Is Here to Stay and 4 Other Takeaways from ‘TV of Tomorrow’

[Commentary] Reports that linear broadcast TV is going to die a slow but inevitable death now with the rise of streaming and video-on-demand services have been overstated. Attendees of the “TV of Tomorrow” show in San Francisco (CA) discussed -- and sometimes debated -- that point, as well as what consumer adoption of smart TVs means for addressable advertising and the evolution of the TV industry. Here are some of my takeaways from 2015’s show.

Despite the rise of streaming and VOD services advertisers continue to buy traditional TV.
TV viewers want choice, but they may not like it when they get it: There is constant chatter about breaking the bundle, and in many ways that process has started. However, it remains to be seen whether breaking the bundle is, in fact, in the best interest of the consumer.
Evolution, not reinvention, of the broadcast TV model is needed: Some take the position that television has to be reinvented for a generation that wants to watch video programming on smartphones, tablets and laptop computers. But the majority thinks that TV of tomorrow is just an evolution of what consumers have enjoyed since the 1950s.
The future of TV is going to be driven by data.
No one talks about local broadcast.

[Marcus Liassides is president and CEO of Sorenson Media]