Why can’t you watch television anywhere in your house? Whether it be walking on the treadmill or taking a bath? The Internet has become a portable form of entertainment that can be accessed from wherever a person may be, but how are the older forms of media and technology going to keep up in this fast growing digital environment?
As a new owner of a smartphone it was unbelievable to me to have the Internet at the tip of my fingers every second of the day. The smartphone has become a device that is crucial in the business world and a must have for those who want to keep up with the times. The Internet has become portable in a fashionable and current manner. In order to progress with other types of media, cable service providers and those involved in the television world realized they had to create something inventive and fast. Tablets have recently become the fastest selling technology on the market. Portable televisions are a thing of the past and were never smoothly integrated into today’s technological environment. The iPad provided innovators with a new technology targeted at the ideal demographic for cable service subscribers.
This year Time Warner Cable launched a new application for the iPad and iPad 2, which allows users to watch television directly from their tablet. This new feature is unique and Time Warner is the first service provider of its kind to enter this market. The application itself was launched in March and offered to users who had already subscribed to the Time Warner cable and Internet service. Those who subscribe to the service and download the application receive 32 channels available in high definition. The application and its features are still in the works so the service will be offering more channels in the future. Due to licensing issues and the service agreements those with the applications are only allowed to watch the television in the vicinities of the service areas.
Time Warner cable plans to increase the accessibility and depth of this application. The company plans to integrate on demand access and video recording into the application. This is hands down the first application that offers the streaming of live television. Time Warner Cable is a reputable brand with millions of customers and is the second largest cable company within the United States. Time Warner cable has a clear strategy of being the first to enter the market and introduce this new idea of portable television via tablets and smart phones. The target audience of this campaign is those already subscribed to the Time Warner service and those looking to enjoy television anywhere within their households.
Tablets have been a hot commodity and are flying off the shelves. It seems as though an older generation is purchasing these tablets and using them for entertainment purposes. Time Warner Cable is targeting an older demographic who is financially stable, invested in their Internet and cable services, and technologically savvy. Time Warner’s audience is looking for and open to new technologies that will enhance their daily lives. Those who download this application are willing to pay their service providers to stream live television to their tablets in order to access TV from all over their household. The audience the cable service is targeting is stable, active adults intrigued by this new form of watching television.
Time Warner Cable has started their marketing campaign by introducing the application via commercials. The commercials are clever and really embrace all the different uses of the application. The marketing strategy and target of the application seem to be very focused and direct. Time Warner cable has penetrated the market, but left plenty room for growth. According to third parties, this application and Time Warner Cable are supposedly going to run into tricky situations when the idea of portable television tries to integrate into the out of home viewing market. Viacom has entered a legal battle with a Time Warner accusing that the cable company is streaming copyrighted material without proper permission. Viacom wants the cable company to pay more in order to offer this application. According to a Time Warner Cable attorney the application has been downloaded 360,000 since its launch on March 15th.
