How long can traditional broadcast TV hold back progress?

It’s hard to find anyone to argue that traditional broadcast TV is the future of content delivery. But that doesn’t mean that the model will go down without a fight. Industry disruptor Aereo has been waging a battle to allow users of their service to stream and record broadcast content to a device of their choosing since its launch.

In the latest salvo, the NFL and Major League Baseball have both thrown in with the broadcasters, saying they’ll pull live sports events from the broadcast schedule and move instead to pay channels (something they’ve been gradually doing for years).

The sooner the better

Maybe the sooner that happens, the better. We’re quickly moving to broadband being the single place for consumers to access content. If this hastens that move and allows the models for delivery to go head-to-head, the result will be a leaner, more efficient system that can be replicated across the world. It will make the US entertainment industry more competitive and ready for whatever comes next.

Music and movies have been going through this disruption for years and this is merely the beginning of the fight for the old model’s survival. Disruption by technology can be delayed but it ultimately can’t be thwarted. Perhaps the future of broadcast television is a few publicly funded stations for those who stubbornly cling to their antennas. Broadcast TV is an industry that would have been disrupted long ago if it wasn’t for its sheer size, spending power and lawyers that buys.