Since its first broadcast in the early 20th century, television has been a truly unique technology, making it hard to be replaced. While over-the-top (OTT) media services — internet streaming media services — like Netflix and Amazon Prime have challenged conventional broadcasting stations with high-quality drama series and movies, those platforms have yet to tackle areas television is still dominant in, such as sports and news. However, the situation is a bit different in Korea. Unlike foreign television channels that are too busy trying to compete with OTT services, Korean television stations are trying to make the best use of those OTT platforms, such as YouTube’s video streaming services — which, ironically, might inadvertently end the age of television.
While both foreign and Korean broadcasting stations operate YouTube channels to advertise their content, Korean channels take it a step further. Instead of limiting their uploads to trailers and behind-the-scenes clips, they upload highlights of airing shows and even stream entire seasons, usually of those that were popular in the past. On top of that, these channels are divided into several subchannels by genres, such as news and sports, to maximize the number of subscribers and viewers.
While all of these seem to work in favor of television by advertising and attracting new viewerships, what these channels need to realize is that their actions may bring an opposite effect. The only advantage television had over these streaming platforms was the professional quality of content and the celebrity fan base that has accumulated over decades. By uploading full seasons and clips of popular shows to be available online, television no longer has its own exclusive content. By leveling the playing field, broadcasting stations gave up their only advantage against these platforms, while OTTs, such as YouTube and Netflix, continue to hold their dominance in other areas.
The biggest edge OTTs have over television is the freedom that the viewer enjoys. Instead of big bulky televisions in living rooms, all the viewer needs is a device with internet access, and all the contents of the site are available anywhere at any time. This also means that it is cheaper. More importantly, OTTs provide people with freedom in content. May it be good or bad, there are all sorts of videos on the internet, which gives viewers unlimited choice in what to watch. Unlike television, which has restraints in contents due to government regulations, anything is possible on the internet — again, may it be good or bad. However, the fact that viewers hold the choice over content instead of being restricted to a fixed timetable is an incomparable superiority these media platforms hold over television.
And these advantages are starting to show effect. According to the 2019 Broadcast Media Usage Research from the Korea Communication Commission, more and more people are starting to prefer online devices such as smartphones and PCs over television. Although television still holds the greatest percentage of users with 93.8% of the Korean population, television usage increased with age group — for younger age groups, television usage decreased while smartphone and PC usage increased. Research also showed a 9% increase in OTT usage from 42.7% in 2018 to 52.0% in 2019. Although there are other factors affecting the change such as the increase in one-person households, without doubt, advances in portable display devices and streaming technology are the main reasons why television is being replaced.
So, just as all old technologies come and go, is it time for the television to become obsolete? Despite the current situation with OTTs, maybe not. Just as televisions evolved over time from terrestrial to cable and satellite, it may be time for television to move its broadcasting method to the internet — just like what the Korean television channels are doing right now. With technological advancements, more technology can be personalized for each individual, and television is at that stage right now. A new age of television will come where everyone will have their own personalized television: anyone can choose what to watch, where to watch, and when to watch. Who knows? In the future, the next generation may call YouTube and Netflix TV.