• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / News Features / 2018: The Year TV Went Online

2018: The Year TV Went Online

Jan 17, 2019 By Jonathan

This is the age of technology where small and portable devices like smartphones can grant us access to massive volumes of data instantly. While there are certainly many uses of this marvelous feature, the entertainment industry was quick to see the potential and jumped on it immediately, which explains why streaming services have become so popular today.

When streaming started gaining popularity, then for a brief period, the content was kept within certain limits as many of the publishers would restrict access to certain TV shows to certain demographics for reasons including politics, copyright red tape, and profit boosting. However, thanks to new-age technologies and techniques, it’s not hard to watch UK shows in US and vice versa anymore. In fact, you can bypass the georestricted barriers with simple apps and online services to watch any TV show in the world whenever you want. But how did we reach to this point? Let’s get into it.

2018: The Year When TV Went Online

2018 marks a special place in the history of television because it was in this year when there were more UK subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon, and NOW TV than to ‘traditional’ pay TV services (Source: Ofcom). A report by data-analytics firm Cortiva also says that in just 12 months to 2018, streaming TV consumption more than doubled! What all this goes to show is that streaming isn’t just a trend that may get over anytime soon, it’s a digital revolution that’s changing how we consume content in this tech-driven world.

Why the Hype?

The reality of today is that technology is changing leisure habits around the world. More and more people are now working from their homes and earning a full-time income while enjoying flexible working hours. They are playing their favorite casino games online. ordering food and daily-use items on apps, and connecting with friends and family on social media. They are also streaming their favorite TV shows on their smartphones and laptops. But why?

The following are some of the biggest reasons why the cord-cutting revolution has become so big globally:

Affordability

Almost every teenager and adult today has a smartphone and an Internet connection. In fact, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that this combination has become more a social norm. However, the same can’t be said about television and a cable connection.

When youngsters go to college or start their career, it’s not easy for them to afford a new TV and get a cable connection which only becomes a big monthly expense. However, since everyone already has a smartphone, tablet, or a laptop, they can just create an account on Netflix or Amazon Prime to watch all kinds of TV shows without breaking the bank. Plus, they can share their accounts with friends and split the monthly bill to lower the financial burden.

Convenience

One of the best things about streaming services is that you aren’t tied to a single device. You can open your account on mobiles, desktops, smart TVs, and tablets. Since your preferences, details of accessible programs, and watch history is stored on servers, you can just log in to your account from whichever device you have available and resume watching what you watching previously from exactly where you left off.

Streaming platforms offer convenience in many creative ways too. For example, if you have an Apple Watch, then you can use it as a remote for Hulu. You can pause a video, turn subtitles on and off, and a lot more with your handy wristwatch. Features like these are what that attract the millennials the most.

Content Variety

Streaming giants like Netflix understand what the people want from video entertainment. This is why they have built massive digital libraries in which you can find hundreds or even thousands of TV shows in different genres. In fact, Netflix is so determined to rule the market, that it’s pouring money on content creation liberally. In 2018, it updated its content budget to a whopping $13 billion! So, given at the rate at which new TV shows and new seasons are added to these platforms, an average user would be hard-pressed to prefer TV that can’t possibly match the amount of content that’s available on online platforms.

Streaming is the Future of TV

The traditional cable isn’t going anywhere for at least a few years. However, it’s surely dying faster than ever. The new generations will largely be attracted towards streaming services and leave no incentive for the cable networks to stay in the game. Suffice to say, the future of entertainment belongs to the Internet and streaming i.e. until VR explodes and takes immersion to a whole new level, although there is plenty of time for that.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: News Features

About jonathan

Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • V&A set to open first major UK exhibition on Renaissance sculptor Donatello
  • Ten National Trust Properties in London
  • What’s On in London Events for February 2023
  • Only Fools And Horses musical to close in West End after four years
  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in