14 DAY TRIAL // Seeing that, in the past few years, more and more people have decided to cut the cord on their TV and switch to on-demand Internet media streaming services like Netflix, HBO Now or Hulu, one must wonder how long the TV as we know it will still exist.
Moreover, considering that the new streaming services allow one to choose exactly what they want to watch at any given moment, a cable subscription designed to give them access to hundreds of channels that provide content that they may or may not find interesting seems redundant.
Also, as Simon Khalaf states in a blog post, the most important thing the cable industry should consider is the exodus of users they've been experiencing in the last two years, after mobile apps became the main source of entertainment.
This translates into huge revenues for mobile developers from both in-app purchases and mobile ads, with a combined total revenue of $44 billion in 2014. In 2015, the estimations are even more optimistic, with developers to earn $33 billion from in-app purchases and $31 billion from ads.
The new Apple TV, "the future of television"
With that in mind, let's welcome the new Apple TV on stage. Besides upgraded hardware, Apple's new device also comes with a built-in operating system built using an iOS 9 core and a slightly tweaked collection of APIs designed to offer better support for big screen TVs.
Now take into consideration the tagline prominently displayed on Apple TV 4's page, saying that "It's all about apps."
Combine this with the fact that the number of users who prefer spending time using apps instead of watching TV has increased each year since 2013, and you'll get quite a grim picture of what the cable industry should expect to happen in the next few years.
Sooner than later, the battle between TV channels and apps will come to an end, with the former lost in an ocean of apps you installed via a simple-to-use App Store, conveniently placed on the only thing that matters in your living room: the TV.
