Gavin Bridge writes on Variety that streaming has pushed Peak TV to new heights.

The main takeaways are:

• 2021 saw a record number of original series
• Streaming is now the platform with the largest number of original shows
• Unscripted shows account for over half of all shows

He writes:

“There were 1,923 original series in 2021 released on broadcast TV, cable and streaming services, a new record high driven by the continued launch of streaming platforms like Discovery+ and expansions including Paramount+.”

He adds:

The “boom in streaming has been fueled by the cable networks themselves, as they move assets once meant for cable to new SVOD services. Discovery+ alone accounted for 169 shows this year, with SVODs connected to cable TV companies releasing a total of 459 originals on streaming in 2021.”

And: “Unscripted shows saw the greatest growth in 2021, up by 26% YoY and accounting for 61% of all originals.”

My take: Perhaps a little early — (Broadcast) TV is dead; long live (streaming) TV. One question is: who’s footing the bill? It used to be almost exclusively advertising. Have you noitced your streaming costs have gone up? There will be a shakeout, but I’m not sure when.