The Growing Convergence of TV and the Internet

The internet is the sphere of this generation. It's ubiquity in our work and social lives is inescapable; it is the resource par excellence for research, interaction and entertainment. It would seem then, that the dominance of the television, the technological innovation of choice for the majority of the 20th century, may begin to waver, if it has not already done so. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite.

Television viewing is up 3% on 2009 figures according to an Ofcom report published in August, an indication of the resilience perhaps of this eternal social accompaniment. However, it is not a case of TV vs the internet; with the growth in general media consumption and the increasingly complex and complementary ways in which various media forms serve one another, television has and will continue to prosper in this digital savvy age.

The crossover of the two media platforms is exemplified by the various partnerships between YouTube and Channel 4, 5 and STV, as well as the online companions to classic tele content such as the BBC iPlayer. While YouTube uploads 24 hours of content every minute, the fact remains that the TV set remains the focal point of many households.

While this state of affairs may well change as the current (and relatively young) generation of internet champions become the elder coevals – and replace the current population of senior citizens whose loyalties remain firmly embedded in older technology – at the moment TV is as relevant as it ever has been. The culmination of all of this is the imminent arrival of Google TV to our screens; that the internet is moving to the TV set is a telling indication of the persistent character of non-online content.

The proliferation of PVR (Personal Video Recorder) devices such as Sky+ has also contributed to the continued success of television, re-enforcing the TV's ability to keep up with the pace in terms of omnipotent content, available when you want you want it.

Television and the online domain must work together to ensure the continued prosperity of both mediums. Whilst televisual content and advertising can drive traffic effectively online, conversely, internet advertising and discussions can prove to be of great advantage for television. Both formats are there to back one another up; what has been missed on TV can be seen online and vice versa.

As Matt Brittin, managing director of UK and Ireland operations at Google explains, such co-operation is perfectly exemplified by the journey of Susan Boyle from TV sensation to viral video star to breaking America.

Brittin believes that the UK is ideally placed to take advantage of the upcoming developments in the co-operation of television and the internet due largely to our “great track record as an exporter of content, and the asset of the English language. “

For Brittin, advertising will play a major role in future developments, claiming that now is the time to capitalise on the increased media consumption across both platforms simultaneously. He refers specifically to the ability of Google partners to “sell their own ad inventory on YouTube themselves if they choose, with impressive results”, as well as the potentially lucrative deals to be made between “technology companies and content creators” in terms of ad revenue.

The future of internet integrated TV is an exciting prospect, and one which represents the next step in the way we consume media content.