Zombie TV has come to cable
In 2015, the American cable network was a driving force in original programming. Dramas like ‘Suits’, ‘Mr. Robot” and “Royal Pains” won awards or attracted large audiences.
What a difference a few years make.
Viewership is way down and the original US programming arm is gone. The channel has only had one original scripted show this year, and it’s not exclusive to the network: it also airs on another channel. During a 46-hour period last week, USA showed reruns of NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for nearly two hours, while showing reruns of CBS’s “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.”
Rather than standing out from the competition, the US symbolizes the transformation of cable television. Many of the most popular channels – TBS, Comedy Central, MTV – have quickly turned into zombie versions of their former selves.
Networks once rich in original scripted programming are now vessels for endless marathons of reruns, along with the occasional reality shows and live sports. While the network call letters and logos are the same as before, that’s essentially where the overlap ends.
The transformation could accelerate even further, reshaping the cable landscape. Advertisers have started monetizing cable at high rates, analysts say, and leaders at cable providers are starting to wonder what their consumers are paying for. In a dispute with Disney this year, executives who oversee the Spectrum cable service said media companies were letting their cable programming house burn to the ground.
“It’s kind of like when you drive by a store and you see they’re not keeping up, and it looks a little sad,” says Linda Ong, a consultant who works with many entertainment companies and formerly led marketing at the Oxygen cable network . “It feels like they don’t have the attention. And they don’t; they are stripped of parts.”
The media companies that own the channels are in trouble. The so-called cable bundle was extremely profitable for media companies and at its peak more than 100 million households had a subscription. But the number of subscribers is rapidly declining as people migrate to streaming.
About 70 million households now have a cable subscription. As a result, most media companies are pulling resources from their individual cable networks and focusing their investments on their streaming services. Peacock, owned by NBCUniversal, the same US parent company, has been making more and more original scripted shows over the past three years.
However, most streaming services are hemorrhaging cash. (An NBCUniversal executive said this week that Peacock would lose $2.8 billion this year.) Cable, while smaller, remains profitable.
Now some insiders and analysts are wondering whether executives moved too quickly and are limiting future revenues for distributors and advertisers.
“Unfortunately, they’re killing the golden goose,” Michael Nathanson, a media analyst, said of entertainment companies and the cable bundle. “Yes, perhaps this downfall was inevitable. But by offering more and more content via streaming, there is literally nothing left on cable.”
In 2015, there were at least 214 original scripted programs on premium and basic cable, according to programming data analyzed by The New York Times. Last year that figure was down 39 percent, and this year it has fallen even further – perhaps partly due to the months-long strikes by writers and actors.
In 2015, TBS and TNT aired 17 scripted shows. This year, according to the data, there are a total of three series. Cable networks like Comedy Central, Freeform, A&E, History, MTV and Lifetime also air far fewer scripted programs.
Repetitions fill the gap. On a recent weekday, TBS played shows like “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Modern Family” and “Young Sheldon.” At Comedy Central there was ‘The Office’ and ‘Seinfeld’. MTV had 20 consecutive hours of “Catfish: The TV Show.”
Cable executives say they’ve made programming moves that fit better in a smaller cable landscape — and in many cases cost less to produce.
A spokeswoman for NBCUniversal said the US has shifted investments from scripted programming to unscripted programming, library rights and sports. The channel’s live sports coverage includes the Premier League, NASCAR and Olympic events. Professional wrestling remains a backbone of the network, as it has been for years.
Prime-time ratings are enough to keep the U.S. third in cable entertainment, the spokeswoman said. She also noted that NBCUniversal did not sell advertising exclusively for the US, but for many of the company’s brands.
A spokeswoman for TBS and TNT, two other top cable channels, pointed to the release of the second season of a British drama, “The Lazarus Project.” She said TBS and TNT offered viewers several other scripted options, noting hits originally created for other channels such as “The Big Bang Theory,” “Friends” and “Modern Family.”
There are some exceptions among cable channels. Bravo, another NBCUniversal property and home to the “Housewives,” “Vanderpump Rules” and “Below Deck” franchises, remains a culturally relevant force that has spawned a popular annual convention: BravoCon. The Hallmark Channel has laid claim to the holidays, releasing one Christmas movie after another, and scoring big ratings. (Hallmark and Bravo shows also appear on Peacock.) The Paramount cable network managed to release a bona fide hit in recent years with “Yellowstone.”
But more common are the line-ups on channels like USA. Original non-sports programming largely comes in the form of reality shows. This year’s programs include a celebrity bar-themed game show, “Barmageddon,” and a competition show, “Race to Survive: Alaska.”
It’s quite a departure from the cheerful, procedural programming that once defined the network – and its brand. Series like “Monk” and “Suits” were part of a strategy that included as many as 10 original scripted shows per year. (“Suits” has since found new life, setting streaming records on Netflix this year.)
Ms Ong, the consultant and CEO of Cultique, which advises entertainment companies, said she had recently visited the US website. There was no mention of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” or “9-1-1” or “Shark Tank” or other network reruns that populate the network’s lineup on a daily basis. However, there were banners for some reality shows on USA, programs on Peacock and NBC, and other shows from cable networks like CNBC and Telemundo. The mix was a reflection of the current state of the network.
“The US currently has no value outside of a television set,” Ms Ong said. “There are brands that have value beyond their existence as a linear network – Bravo has that. Not the US.”
Mr Nathanson, the media analyst, said this could pose problems. Even as cord-cutting accelerated in recent years, advertisers largely stuck with cable networks. But last year, he said, finally marked a “tipping point” — when advertisers began to look askance at non-sports cable programming.
Cable advertising revenues have fallen by double digits for five consecutive financial quarters, Mr. Nathanson said. He said he had never seen that outside of a recession.
“Advertisers are starting to realize that there’s really nothing to see here and they shouldn’t pay for it,” he said.