So let’s take a look at three of the top trends to watch for in 2017.
Live TV
Live TV streamed online was huge in 2016. PlayStation Vue came out nationally and DirecTV Now hit the market. Now in 2017 we have Hulu Live, YouTube Live TV, FuboTV, Vidgo, and probably others coming to market.
Not only will we have new services coming to market but we also are likely to see continued improvements to services already available. We know Sling TV will be rolling out a DVR in 2017, and it is likely that all the services will continue to add new channels, devices, and features.
New Streaming Players
We are already expecting a new Nvidia Shield next week at CES; however, we are also likely to see other new devices.
The Apple TV is already feeling dated with its lack of 4K support and it is being left behind by newer, more powerful players. Apple seems to be running a “new every 2 years” plan for the Apple TV meaning in late 2017 we are likely to see a new Apple TV.
Amazon’s Fire TV is also starting to feel a little dated because cheaper devices, such as the Mi Box, offers similar performance and the new Roku Premier is $10 less expensive but also adds 4K HDR support—something the Fire TV Second Generation does not offer.
Local TV Streamed
For many Americans, local TV is free with an antenna because over-the-air TV covers about 90% of all Americans; however, that still leaves an estimated 31 million Americans without one or more channels. (I was one of them because when I cut the cord we lived in a valley and received no over-the-air TV channels.)
Now as cable subscriptions decline more local TV channels are starting to open up to the idea of streaming services—from apps on devices such as the Fire TV to stream local news to all-out deals with Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, or DirecTV Now.
We expect 2017 to be a good year for those who cannot receive local over-the-air TV, because by the end of 2017 it would not surprise us to find most local channels streaming online in one manner or another.
Do you have anything you are excited to see happen in 2017? Post it in the comments for all to see.
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