For years, the broadband industry has been telling the same story: the future is internet, and traditional TV is on its way out. As streaming services exploded onto the scene, it certainly felt that way. Consumers were cutting the cord, downloading new apps, and building their own entertainment experience one subscription at a time.
Fast forward to today, and that story has become much more complicated.
We sat down with Michael Hawkes from TiVo to talk about where television is headed, why the bundle still matters, and how ISPs can simplify an entertainment experience that has become increasingly fragmented. It was an interesting conversation because it challenged a lot of assumptions about what customers actually want.
One thing became clear very quickly. Linear television isn't disappearing. It's evolving.
Streaming solved a lot of problems when it first arrived. It gave viewers flexibility, on-demand access, and lower costs than traditional cable packages. For many households, it felt like an obvious upgrade.
Then something changed.
Every major content provider launched its own streaming service. Shows moved from one platform to another. Subscription prices climbed. Instead of paying for one service, consumers suddenly found themselves paying for five, six, or even ten. Finding a specific show became almost as frustrating as paying for it.
Michael described today's entertainment marketplace perfectly: it's fragmented.
It's a situation almost everyone can relate to. You sit down at the end of the day, decide to watch a show, and immediately find yourself asking questions instead of relaxing. Which service is it on? Where did we leave off? Did that show move to another platform? Those questions have become part of the viewing experience, and they're not making it any better.
One of the things I appreciated about TiVo's approach is that they aren't trying to convince customers to consume content differently. They're trying to make consuming content easier.
Rather than forcing viewers to remember which streaming platform carries which series, the platform searches across services, identifies where content lives, and takes the viewer directly there. Even better, it remembers where someone stopped watching so they can pick up exactly where they left off.
That may sound like a small improvement, but it's solving a real customer problem.
Technology works best when it removes friction instead of adding to it. Consumers don't care which company owns the content rights or which application they're supposed to open first. They simply want to watch what they want, when they want, without turning the experience into a scavenger hunt.
For ISPs, one part of the conversation stood out. The bundle is far from dead.
There was a time when many providers viewed television as something they had to offer simply to stay competitive. Internet was the priority, while phone and TV often felt like additional services that customers expected. Over time, many operators questioned whether TV was worth the complexity.
Michael offered a different perspective. If an ISP doesn't provide a television option, they may be eliminating themselves from consideration for a meaningful segment of potential customers. When another provider can offer internet and television together, the conversation shifts from comparing internet providers to comparing complete household services.
That doesn't mean every customer wants a traditional cable package. It means customers still value convenience, especially when they can receive multiple services from a provider they already trust.
The bundle has changed, but the principle behind it hasn't. Offering more value through a single relationship continues to improve customer retention while opening additional revenue opportunities.
One of the themes we've discussed on Bandwidth many times is that experience often matters more than raw technology.
This conversation reinforced that idea.
Consumers aren't necessarily looking for another streaming app. They're looking for a simpler way to navigate an increasingly crowded entertainment landscape. The technology behind the scenes is important, but what customers remember is whether finding and watching content feels effortless.
That's where thoughtful aggregation becomes valuable.
Instead of asking customers to manage ten different entertainment ecosystems, providers can deliver one experience that ties everything together.
In many ways, that's exactly what broadband providers have always done. They've simplified connectivity. Now there's an opportunity to simplify entertainment as well.
One concern many operators have when considering a new service is the operational burden.
Adding television sounds like adding complexity.
New support processes.
New training.
New marketing.
New customer questions.
Michael explained that TiVo approaches this differently. Rather than expecting the ISP to become an expert in television delivery, they provide deployment guides, customer support playbooks, marketing assets, installation documentation, billing integrations, and operational resources that help providers launch quickly and confidently.
That partnership model is important.
No provider can be an expert in everything. Successful businesses are built by partnering with organizations that specialize in areas where you don't. When those partnerships work well, everyone benefits, especially the customer.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this conversation is that we're entering another shift in how people consume content.
Streaming isn't replacing television anymore. Streaming has become television.
Customers are beginning to feel the fatigue that comes with managing multiple subscriptions, rising monthly costs, and fragmented experiences. At the same time, providers are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves beyond speed alone.
Meeting those two realities in the middle creates an interesting opportunity.
Sometimes innovation isn't about creating something entirely new. Sometimes it's about making something familiar dramatically easier to use.
That may be exactly where television is headed next.
Catch the full conversation with Michael Hawkes from TiVo on the Bandwidth podcast. We discuss the evolution of television, why bundling still matters, how streaming has changed customer expectations, and what ISPs can do to create a better entertainment experience.
Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Bandwidth Podcast YouTube Channel.
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