Columns, Opinion

BONADIES: Award shows validate streaming services

The 65th Primetime Emmy Award Ceremony in 2013 was a landmark for Team Internet. It was the first time an original piece of online content was nominated for a major award, with “House of Cards” nominated for the prestigious Outstanding Drama Series category. That alone would be enough to legitimize the web series for the mainstream, but the show’s win in Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series was enough to push it over the edge into the absolute cultural consciousness.

At the time, the recognition felt like something huge was just beginning. For the early adopters of the medium and those who were invested in the future of online media, the tides finally felt like they were turning. Network TV had been in decline for some years at that point, and the big win for “House of Cards” seemed like the first large chink in traditional television’s armor.

Today, the idea of an online-only show being nominated for a major award likely wouldn’t turn heads. Since “House of Cards” broke Internet TV’s glass ceiling, it paved the way for other web-video outlets to start churning out critically acclaimed content. Now, streaming services like Hulu and Amazon are regularly mentioned alongside big-time networks like HBO and NBC. Most recently, at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, Netflix’s “Narcos” was up for Best Television Drama Series and only two of the nominees for Best Television Comedy Series were not found exclusively online.

This is potentially bad news for old-school TV. None of its shows are generating enough critical favor to even be nominated for awards like these. All of the innovation and boundary-pushing never had a place on broadcast networks. Shows like Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black” and Amazon’s “Transparent” would never be found on the likes of CBS or ABC, and thus deprive Internet-wary audiences of those compelling, diverse stories and their characters.

This new wave of critic-favored television also breaks new ground for the Internet as a replacement for TV. Cord-cutting, or dropping network television subscriptions in favor of Internet streaming, is becoming more and more popular as premium cable prices rise and streaming services become more viable with more options, more interesting original content and a much lower price.

This model is also better for creators who no longer have to alter their creative vision to tell the stories they want. Online outlets like Amazon and Netflix are looking for the next buzz-worthy show to improve their subscription numbers. All the discussion surrounding Netflix’s hit documentary series “Making a Murderer” has certainly increased the site’s viewership. A slow, plodding documentary like “Murderer” would have likely never seen production on a major network like CNN or another channel.

The problems networks have lies in their income. Major broadcast channels rely on advertising to keep the lights on and pay staff, and without its support, there would be no TV. Advertisers are sometimes unwilling to show their product alongside edgy, controversial shows for fear of losing profit by association with the taboo topics portrayed on the shows.

Online streaming services do not have this problem. All the major sites (barring Hulu) do not rely on advertising to keep going, but rather subsist on the paid subscriptions of their viewers. This way, they can show whatever they want without fear of losing precious advertising dollars. It’s the same model HBO and other premium cable channels have used for years to great success both critically and commercially.

Financial reasons aside, the cultural impact of broadcast TV has severely weakened over the past few years. Try to think of a show that has had your entire friend group talking that didn’t premiere online. Where “Glee” and “30 Rock” used to dominate conversation and spark interest and buzz, “Master of None” and “Jessica Jones” have moved in and don’t show any signs of leaving. It’s time to face the facts that TV’s best years are behind it, and the only question remaining is when the Academy Awards are going to start taking the Internet seriously too.

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