Advertisers Cling To Traditional Television As More Viewers Cut Cords With Cable Providers

The writing is on the wall and truth be told, it has been for years. Cable television subscription rates continue to dwindle as eyeballs move online for steaming video services or toward cell phones for ever-expanding social media outlets. Regardless of this shift in consumer preference, an advertising buying frenzy was unfolding in New York City in mid-May 2017 as executives prepared to plunk down millions of dollars in exchange for air time on the big broadcast stations.

According to The New York Times, the gathering of television stations and advertising companies unfolded amidst the knowledge that more and more people were cutting the cord with their cable providers. The typical reasons for such a move often includes the desire to save money and dissatisfaction with the programming they are paying for. The solution for those in this camp is simple: find the best HD antenna.

Generally, these devices are capable of receiving over-the-air signals from the same big television broadcasters that were courting advertising dollars at the New York City gathering. The upshot in the financial department is the relatively low price of an high-definition television antenna, which pales in comparison to the more than $1,000 the average consumer spends annually on a cable television bill. In exchange for the price of admission, HD television antenna owners will be able to access more than a dozen broadcasters, including big names such as ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox as well as local news, sports, classic movies and more.

According to The New York Times report from May 14, 2017, one media analyst said that the tired tradition of buying a 30-second spot on TV will continue until it no longer works. Compounding the problem, according to the report, is that television viewership among younger people and even adults is dropping. Turner Entertainment’s chief creative officer told the newspaper that the industry is in a “transitional phase” being kept “afloat” by the baby boomer generation. Fortunately for consumers today, we aren’t beholden to tradition and can cut the cord whenever we see the cost-benefit analysis as no longer working in our favor.