It’s Friday night. It’s been a long week at school or work. And, although you could be out partying, you decide to have a chill night instead. You turn on the TV, hop on Netflix, and are hit with thousands of titles to choose.
Now what?
Do you want to watch a movie or TV show? Comedy or drama? Documentary or fiction? There are so many questions that go into this seemingly simple task of finding something to watch that it becomes stressful.
So many times, I turn something on solely for background noise, but end up searching for something for 10 to 20 minutes! There needs to be a better solution to this.
Luckily, I’m here to offer just that.
More Like TV, But Better
Streaming platforms need to add live streaming channels.
When given a multitude of different options from which to choose, many people will spend around seven to 10 minutes only searching. By adding 24-hour “channels” to the services, this will make it easy for all of the indecisive people to simply flip something on without a second thought.
- For services like Disney+, this is easy, just add the actual Disney channels to the service, while also adding a unique channel to highlight the service’s original films, as well as new additions.
- For services like Netflix, on the other hand, they don’t come from a television network. Instead, they should add multiple different channels to cover everyone in the home: Like, one for family, one for documentaries, one for children, and one for movies (just as it would be on TV).
This could also lead way to the return of weekly releases of TV shows, much like what Disney+ is doing. By releasing this at a specified time on the service’s channel, major original content, such as Stranger Things, becomes all the more special as we all experience it at the same time.
Lower Subscription Prices
Everybody hates advertisements.
However, these services are a business that need to make money. So far, services like Netflix have continuously jacked the subscription price up substantially to continue to keep it up and running.
If they implement live streaming channels, they would be able to add about five minutes worth of commercials and advertisements in between episodes and movies. This would add a whole new stream of revenue for them, which could lower the price of the subscription and still allow for an ad-free viewing during programs.
If those ads are really that big of an issue for some people, they could add a more expensive subscription plan to remove them. Ultimately, this would make it more affordable for them to keep the basic subscription plan’s price lower.
An Alternative to Live TV
Many people around the globe are cutting cable are moving to streaming services. There are many more positives to streaming than cable: lower price, more options, same shows as cable. Name a comparison and streaming may beat cable every time.
However, the one thing cable is consistently better at is how easily accessible it is to just turn on a channel and have something playing.
It narrows down the options for us. It’s so easy to just find something remotely interesting, turn it on for a few minutes, and change it if we don’t enjoy it.
There’s no need to scroll through hundreds of titles just to decide on ONE thing.
If streaming services add my proposed live streaming channels, they will be able to directly compete with cable on a much more serious level. I believe it is the one thing necessary before we see millions of more people cut the cable bill for streaming. This could be the final nail in cable’s coffin.
There’s something special about live TV. You know you’re not just watching something by yourself, but that your sharing that experience with thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.
It’s a communal experience, and it’s what streaming services are lacking. If services like Netflix and Hulu are able to replicate that experience, it will take the streaming world by storm.
One thought on “The Dude Abides | There’s One Thing Streaming Services Should Absolutely Add”
You must log in to post a comment.