Six years after COVID reshaped media consumption, the TV industry is still adjusting to the changes that followed. In this episode, Kelly and Sean walk through how the balance between linear TV and streaming flipped, what has happened since, and what the data suggests for the year ahead.

They start by revisiting the inflection point during COVID, when streaming usage overtook cable for the first time. Since then, the gap has widened significantly, with most households now relying on streaming while traditional TV continues to decline.

The conversation then moves into how that shift has impacted content investment. Sean highlights how cable networks briefly increased spending on new shows during the early COVID period, before pulling back and relying more heavily on repeat programming. This change in content strategy has played a role in how audiences engage with TV today.

A major focus of the episode is live sports. As other types of programming decline, live sports have become a much larger share of linear TV revenue, now representing a significant portion of the ecosystem. Kelly and Sean discuss why sports remain one of the few formats that consistently bring viewers back to traditional TV.

They also examine advertiser behavior, including which categories are still investing in linear TV and which have reduced their spend. Restaurants, financial services, and certain retail-driven campaigns continue to rely on TV’s reach, while categories like pharmaceuticals are starting to pull back after years of heavy investment.

On the streaming side, the discussion turns to a less obvious trend: while streaming continues to grow, not all dollars leaving TV are being reinvested there. Sean explains how only a portion of linear TV spend is shifting into streaming, contributing to slower growth and signs of stabilization.
The episode closes with a look ahead to 2026, focusing on rising subscription costs, shifting consumer behavior, and the growing complexity of managing multiple streaming services. Kelly shares a practical example of how consumers are beginning to cycle through subscriptions rather than maintaining them year-round.

Key topics include:

• How COVID accelerated the shift from TV to streaming
• The current split between cable and streaming households
• Changes in content investment and reliance on repeat programming
• Why live sports are becoming central to linear TV
• Which advertiser categories are still investing in TV
• Why some categories are pulling back
• The relationship between TV ad spend and streaming growth
• Subscription pricing trends and consumer behavior
• Predictions for TV and streaming in 2026

Chapters
00:00 Six years after COVID and the shift in TV
00:56 Why TV is the focus this week
02:01 How streaming overtook cable
04:17 Changes in TV content investment
06:42 The growing role of live sports
08:59 Which advertisers still use TV
11:09 Categories reducing TV spend
12:37 Streaming growth and reinvestment gap
14:37 Predictions for 2026
16:58 Subscription fatigue and changing behavior
19:22 Final thoughts and wrap-up

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