TV's Death Is Widely Exaggerated

If you believe everything you read, TV is about to die — slowly or quickly, depending on whom you listen to, but its days are numbered. We've been around the block a few times at Forrester, and we know that TV, while beleaguered, is neither dead nor dying. But it is definitely hurting, and pretending that it's not won't give TV-focused media companies the focus they need to emerge on the other side of this digitally disruptive transition. In this report, we share the latest data on key trends in TV consumption, results of a series of industry interviews we conducted throughout 2014, and our analysis of the likely path forward for TV in the age of the customer. The bottom line is simple: TV is too important to everyone involved for it to fail. However, TV's current structure lends itself to the efficiency and superior outcomes that consumer-focused digital disruption promises. CMOs will want to prepare for the shifts that we have identified and make the most of their partnerships with TV producers, programmers, and distributors in the future.