Linear TV in Norway - Going or already gone?

There's no secret that over the last few years, the way we enjoy our extremely funny comedies or breathtaking wildlife documentaries have changed. We have access to everything, everything and above all, anytime of the day. So how's it going for linear TV? Is it dying off? This articles aims to look at the trends in Norway when it comes to they way we watch TV.

So what is linear TV exactly? Simply put, linear TV is where the viewer watches a scheduled TV program at the particular time it's offered, and on the particular channel it's presented on. Think of it as a oneway conversation where the viewer have to adapt to the broadcaster, not the other way around. This is the way we've enjoyed TV for several decades. We got to see the moon landing with Neil Armstrongs greeting to the people of Earth and watch the Berlin wall fall live. There is no doubt that TV has had a great impact on humanity as a whole.

But over the last few years, more specifically the last decade, non-linear TV like streaming services has expanded immensely together with the rise of smartphones and social media. People expect things to be available at their convenience and online. 

The Norwegian way

Norway have been at the forefront of digitising and adapting to new technology quickly for years. With it being a country with a small population and most having excellent high speed internet almost everywhere, we're able to consume and enjoy TV shows in a different way. People are getting more and more used to watching TV on-demand, via online services or PVR (personal video recorder). The way households use their TV is changing. Most households still have a physical television set, however they will often use streaming services via devices like Apple TV, ChromeCast or SmartTV for example or PVR.

A survey done in 2016 amongst 9 - 79 year olds in Norway, showed some interesting figures:

97% had internet at home 74% had a tablet 89% had a smartphone 72% used Facebook daily 53% subscribed to (paid) online streaming services

Over half of the Norwegian population* subscribed to online streaming services. That, combined with the fact that 89% had a smartphone and 97% had internet at home, clearly shows that access to TV shows is easy.

Above you the average minutes of linear TV watched by Norwegians in 2016 and 2017. Between the ages of 2 till 39 years, there's been a steady decline in the amount of minutes spent watching TV over the last decade, but there's also been a slight overall drop amongst the people of Norway. Most notably are the three youngest age groups: 2 - 11 yrs = -26.8%, 12 - 19 yrs = -17.9% and 20 - 29 yrs = -25%. It makes up a significant decline in time spent watching linear TV for the two youngest generations.

Most of the Norwegian TV channels have launched successful online streaming services, a mix of free and paid. By no means is Norway unique. UK for example, has had good on-demand services for years (BBC iPlayer, ITV player and Channel 4 Catch up) that offers most shows shortly after it's aired. These kinds of services allows people to watch whatever show they like, whenever they like.

Younger generations

However for Norway there's been a more sudden shift between generations. The younger generations are consuming TV shows in larger quantities and in different ways. They interact with the shows via social media.

A great example of that, is the hugely successful NRK series "SKAM" which became hugely popular in Norway and redefined the way TV shows interact with its audience. Throughout the week, NRK would publish short videos, pictures and screenshots of texts on their website. In addition they'd use profiles for their characters on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to publish content. After a while the show went viral, both in Norway and internationally. The rights to the show has already been sold to several other countries and received a significant amount of publicity in international news.

Many have argued that what made the show so hugely successful here in Norway, is the way it was produced and published. It was done in a way that resembled the target audiences online user pattern. It was small snippets of content and was presented in a way that would allow the audiences to interact more with the show. It became a two-way dynamic communication that was so much more than a linear TV show with it's weekly episodes. As a result, the series became hugely popular.

The future?

So what will the future hold? This is all based on my predictions and the surveys done. Looking at statistics from Norway, the number of minutes spent watching linear TV will keep declining whilst online services will increase. It will mean more custom and relevant content for the audience. No more having to watch boring shows whilst waiting for the show you wanted to watch in the first place.

As mentioned before, there's been a significant decrease in the amount of time spent watching linear TV amongst the youngest generations (2 - 29 yrs). As those people age and develop, so will the technology around them, meaning in few years we could be looking at a completely different media landscape for all of us.

For me, I'm already there. I have a TV, but I only use it to play shows and films from online streaming services (both free and paid). Same goes for many of friends in my generation. Why should we be content with having to stick to the program schedule? Time will tell what will happen to the way we watch TV. The future is bright, exciting and full of change.

I can't wait to see what's around the next corner.

Sources:

• TNS Gallup - https://www.tns-gallup.no/globalassets/medier/tv/arsrapport-tv-2017.pdf
• SSB - https://www.ssb.no/kultur-og-fritid/artikler-og-publikasjoner/_attachment/303444?_ts=15c1173e920
• NRK - https://tv.nrk.no/serie/skam/MSUB19120116/sesong-1/episode-1
• NRK - https://www.nrk.no/informasjon/sa-mange-ser_-surfer-og-horer-1.6520040
• Business Insider - https://nordic.businessinsider.com/six-countries-set-for-remakes-of-norways-hit-show-skam--and-the-american-version-will-air-on-facebooks-watch-service-2017-10/
• New Statesman - https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/06/skam-interrupted-why-phenomenally-popular-teen-drama-ending-its-peak
• The Atlantic - https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/06/the-norwegian-teen-drama-series-loved-around-the-world/532008/
• The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/arts/television/will-skam-a-norwegian-hit-translate.html