To infinity… and beyond

By Julia Lamaison 05-01-2017

Little did Buzz Lightyear realise in 1995 how his famous phrase would foreshadow the future of viewing 22 years later. 2017 will be the year when we go ‘beyond’ what we are used to – beyond the TV set, beyond traditional content genres, and beyond the home.

Consumption of video is increasingly at the heart of everything we do, whether it is to watch our favourite soaps, check last night’s goals from the latest Premier League match, view the latest video games being played on YouTube channels, discover how to create culinary masterpieces or look at real-time breaking news from around the world.

2016 was definitely the year video exploded into a new world beyond what we ever thought possible – certainly what we might have experienced back in Buzz’s era. Not only is the amount of content increasing exponentially, but the way in which we access that content is also changing. Netflix and Amazon have both launched OTT video in more than 200 countries, sales of streaming devices – enabling us to go ‘beyond broadcast’ on our TV sets – topped three million in the UK for the year to October 2016 and the increasing availability of wi-fi outside the home enables us to be connected constantly.

Buzz Lightyear’s famous phrase rings true in 2017

So what will all this mean for 2017? We’ve come up with five ‘beyond’ predictions that we expect to see materialise throughout the year

Beyond… bingeing
2016 was the year of the binge. We consumed our way through an infinite number of box sets and series and indulged ourselves with multiple episode viewing of our favourite titles, adding to the amount of viewing of television content and enjoying just ‘one more episode’ before being forced to switch off and concentrate on something else. 2017 will still be about bingeing, but it will also be about ‘sharing’ and ‘grazing’ through YouTube and Facebook, as well as newer platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. This is good news for broadcasters and distributors, as well as the platforms themselves as video sharing and grazing of an infinite number of clips becomes a valuable element of publicity and promotion.

Beyond… traditional formats and channels
In 2017 we will have to reinvent the genre classifications that we’ve traditionally used to describe video content. Whilst drama, comedy and entertainment still drive the majority of our viewing, our choices are widening to include eSports, vlogs and YouTube channels. These new formats are also encouraging a new generation of digital participation, and young adults are making a living from writing, creating and producing high-quality video without the use of a camera rig or post-production suite. 2016 saw the rise of some of these stars as household names and 2017 will surely see this expand as new talent emerges to emulate the success of PewDiePie, Zoella and Michelle Phan.

Beyond… continuing belief in the power of live broadcasting
2016 also showed that linear channels continue to dominate most of our viewing, and nothing drives this more successfully than event TV and live broadcasting. These moments still dominate many of our shared experiences, whether we are watching the final Great British Bake Off, the Men’s 100m final at the Olympics, the crowning of the I’m a Celebrity’s King of the Jungle, or the terrifying battle between the racer snakes and the baby iguanas on Planet Earth II. 2017 will see no diminution in the need for producers and broadcasters to ensure they continue to satisfy an appetite for the shared, live viewing experience.

Beyond… transactional and pay-per-view
2016 has also heralded a change in the way that consumers want to pay for content. Our research shows a precarious position for traditional pay-per-view and electronic sell-through models versus the new subscription-based offers, and it is clear that 2017 will see platforms such as iTunes and Google Play needing to re-invent their offer to consumers. Subscription options provide consumer value through access to a large catalogue that can be viewed flexibly, as opposed to the time or device restrictions of other forms of paid-for content. 2017 will see further change in how people want to pay for things – no-contract OTT apps based on subscription rather than transactional models are likely to be the future.

Beyond… the home
We value our homes increasingly as entertainment centres and the number of devices we own continues to expand. 4K ultra-HD TV sets with ever-increasing screen sizes, sound bars and wireless speakers – we certainly want it large (or larger) than life. Whilst we don’t expect this to change in 2017, we expect the amount of content viewed outside the home to increase too. As mobile operators offer more data capacity, as mobile screens get larger and as free wi-fi access expands into trains, buses and airports, as well as nearly every coffee shop in the land, we can be assured of never needing to miss our favourite video moments wherever we are.