Paul Epstein hails appointment-to-view as solution to a TV industry ‘running on fumes’

Producer, director and writer Paul Epstein (The Apprentice USA, Into the Wild Frontier) has called on networks and streamers to move away from the peak TV model and return to appointment viewing, which he says will “supercharge” ad revenues.

Paul Epstein

Broadcasters and streamers are struggling in a challenging macroeconomic climate, compounded by a declining TV advertising market and Epstein believes embracing the appointment viewing model could allow networks to reverse the downturn caused by the ad slump.

“While shrinking ad revenues are both cause and effect of linear TV’s decline, studios and streamers should tread carefully charting a new TV landscape and embrace appointment viewing, a tried-and-true linear programming model that’s proven durable even in the age of binge TV,” he said.

Epstein noted that while the traditional cable bundle is “clearly in decline,” many of the most popular recent shows on SVoD platforms were still released at weekly intervals, as they would be on linear TV, putting the success of shows like Apple TV+’s Severance and Disney+’s Loki down to their weekly episodic scheduling.

“For all its faults, linear cable provided critical value to advertisers in the form of predictable, measurable and stable viewing audiences. But what they got from peak TV was frustrated viewers and mostly opaque ratings metrics. Advertisers and TV providers benefit from knowing that loyal audiences of popular shows will tune in at specific times to watch – and often stick around on the same platform to see what’s on next,” Epstein said.

“Considering the dire situation the TV industry currently faces, turning to a proven programming model makes perfect sense. Despite producing some of the best shows in history, peak TV forgot that watching shows over several months per season created community and continuity for audiences – two things sadly lacking in the current fractured and confusing TV landscape.”

Epstein went on to argue that free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services, like Pluto, Tubi and the Roku Channel, could offset the “damage” caused by the decline in scripted commissions from the streamers.

The revenue FAST services are projected to make over the next few years will provide “much-needed life support for cash-strapped studios and a familiar, cable-style viewing experience for viewers who want to flip on their TVs and see what’s on that night.”

“What the success so far of FAST and the ad-supported tiers of streamers like Netflix has proved is that audiences genuinely don’t mind ads as part of their viewing experience, especially if it lowers costs,” Epstein said.

“Appointment viewing works hand-in-glove with ads. In the age of connected TV, targeted advertising and advanced measurement tools can entice advertisers back into TV programming viewed by large and consistent audiences. This will throw a lifeline to an industry that seems to be running on fumes.”

Epstein has previously argued that a return to ad-supported television, away from subscription VoD, could be the answer to the pay dispute at the heart of last year’s Writers Guild of America strike.

Epstein’s latest comments follow recent announcements of mass layoffs across the industry, including at Amazon Studios and Prime Video and Channel 4 in the UK, while Paramount Global is reportedly set to do the same.