This year, in lieu of the traditional Best Of Lists, we thought it would be fun to discuss how streaming platforms became the first choice for critically adored and highly anticipated content. The Mindy Project moved from Fox to Hulu; Aziz Ansari’sMaster of None went straight to Netflix. This year, streaming platforms positioned themselves as stand-alone platforms rather than ones that complemented a cable subscription. And it was the year stodgy old networks began to see these platforms as a real threat.
Going into 2015 everyone expected video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to pick up some steam. But it ended up being a lot of steam: several of the most anticipated television shows this year — Master of None, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp — never even touched network television. This was the year streaming services moved from being an alternative to cable, to being a full-scale replacement for it. Mostly this was because writers and actors finally saw streaming services as a desirable home for their passion projects, instead of a last resort. This new legitimacy probably has something to do with the fact that the coveted 18-34 age bracket happens to overlap with the most common age of cord-cutters (20-somethings love Aziz Ansari, cult comedies, and stories about being trapped in a bunker).
But Netflix, Hulu, and HBO also have fewer restrictions than traditional TV networks. In aReddit AMA this fall, Ansari said, “We pitched only to premium spots cause we didn’t want to deal with content issues. On Netflix, we never had one issue with content. Also, no need to edit to commercials.”
Source : Variety
