For some, it's still a widely contested issue.

Some (like Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, no surprise there) believe linear TV is in a long and protracted death spiral that’s expected to go on for another 5-10 years. As the recent Nielsen data suggests, the tipping point has already happened. While Netflix has lost subscribers as of late, they are still the dominant player owning 8% of that 34.8%. YouTube is close behind with 7.3%. The rest is spread across hulu, Disney, and all others.

VOD is going to be king, but that does not mean that linear TV is dead. It is still the highest quality medium that just works when you turn it on. And while the classic linear TV channels may be losing to VOD, the brands are here to stay with their own VOD offerings. Brands like FX and NAT Geo have successfully transitioned to the new reality, partnering with hulu and Disney Plus, respectively. 

And for sure, COVID distorted viewability statistics, making it even more difficult to answer if TV is dead. Between the years 2019 and 2020, according to a report by a reported by UK regulatory and competition authority Ofcom, there was a 32% increase in the time people spent daily watching content 2019-2020. Most of that was through the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. Interestingly, linear TV also increased’ likely attributed to people defaulting to linear TV for news and updates on the pandemic.

Traditionally TV continues to thrive with live events and sports, and while expensive, advertising on linear TV is still very relevant.

A significant driver for change has been the art phone. Content consumption is no longer centered on the TV. Phones and tablets drive the younger, more desirable demographics, and content providers are adjusting accordingly. 

So in the near term, everything will co-exist. And yes, linear TV may be past its glory days, but it’s not going anywhere for a while.