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Over The Top: How The Internet Is (Slowly But Surely) Changing The Television Industry
Television is the last mass medium to be disrupted by the Internet. Given the intricacies of the industry, it's also going to be the most resistant to change. Alan Wolk, an industry veteran and longtime analyst and observer, lays out how the television industry is adapting to the digital era, explaining what's really happening in a tone that will appeal to laypeople and insiders alike. In the first section, Wolk takes us through how the industry works today, focusing on how the various players actually make money and who pays who for what. The next section deals with the changes that are taking place in the industry today–everything from time shifting to binge viewing to cord cutting–and how those changes are starting to create some seismic shifts. In the final section, Wolk reveals his predictions for the future and what the industry will look like in ten years time. Andrew Wallenstein, co-editor-in-chief of Variety says "Alan Wolk is one of the most insightful observers writing about the media business today. There's no better expert to help you navigate the confusing, complicated nexus of TV and the Internet." David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications says "Alan Wolk has a deep understanding of the complex nature of television today… this is a fantastic primer of the business and one of the most educated perspectives on the future of our rapidly evolving industry."
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2015
31 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Alan Wolk
3 books33 followers“If you know anything about television, you probably know Alan Wolk.” That’s how Adweek introduces Alan Wolk, the co-founder of TVREV, a leading media analyst firm, and the best-selling author of "Over The Top. How The Internet Is (Slowly But Surely) Changing The Television Industry."
Wolk has established himself as one of the industry's most influential thought leaders, especially noted for his deep understanding of the intersection of streaming and advertising. As the creator of the acronym FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV), he has been instrumental in guiding TVREV to become a pivotal resource in the media industry, navigating the transformative shift to streaming.
His prowess extends to his widely acclaimed reports that have significantly impacted the industry. TVREV’s works on Local TV, the FAST ecosystem, and ACR data are particularly notable, offering incisive analyses and forward-thinking insights. These reports have not only shaped industry discussions but also provided clear, actionable intelligence for media professionals.
What sets Wolk apart is his unique ability to demystify complex ideas in a manner that's easily understandable yet never oversimplified. This talent makes him a sought-after writer, speaker, and consultant, striking a rare balance between depth and accessibility in his communications.
As a contributing writer to Forbes, NextTV, StreamTV Insider, and other industry news sites, Wolk has been a voice of authority, interviewed and quoted by everyone from NPR to The New York Times. He is a regular guest on Cheddar TV, offering expert opinions on breaking stories in the media industry.
He regularly speaks about the future of television, both at conferences and to anyone who’ll listen.
Wolk has established himself as one of the industry's most influential thought leaders, especially noted for his deep understanding of the intersection of streaming and advertising. As the creator of the acronym FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV), he has been instrumental in guiding TVREV to become a pivotal resource in the media industry, navigating the transformative shift to streaming.
His prowess extends to his widely acclaimed reports that have significantly impacted the industry. TVREV’s works on Local TV, the FAST ecosystem, and ACR data are particularly notable, offering incisive analyses and forward-thinking insights. These reports have not only shaped industry discussions but also provided clear, actionable intelligence for media professionals.
What sets Wolk apart is his unique ability to demystify complex ideas in a manner that's easily understandable yet never oversimplified. This talent makes him a sought-after writer, speaker, and consultant, striking a rare balance between depth and accessibility in his communications.
As a contributing writer to Forbes, NextTV, StreamTV Insider, and other industry news sites, Wolk has been a voice of authority, interviewed and quoted by everyone from NPR to The New York Times. He is a regular guest on Cheddar TV, offering expert opinions on breaking stories in the media industry.
He regularly speaks about the future of television, both at conferences and to anyone who’ll listen.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 23, 2016
I wanted to enjoy this book. Working in TV research, and having authored a number of white papers/spoken at industry events on the topic of how the TV industry is changing, I wanted to get a new perspective and enjoy the ideas of another thought leader. Some of the ideas in the latter portion of the book were indeed good (Facebook as a universal authenticator for TV Everywhere, the evolution of set-top boxes) whereas some of the predictions for the future were things that cable companies have been discussing for years, like unskippable video on demand, and shouldn't really be predictions in my mind. But my main gripe with this book is how poorly edited it was. I don't mean random words Capitalised in sentences (although that did happen), or odd personal thoughts creeping in every now and again, but the actual fact checking.
It is clear that Mr. Wolk is knowledgeable in the TV space. What is also clear is that whoever proof-read this book is not. How else to explain claims that Mr. Wolk used his iPhone in 2005 to download 40-odd episodes of Lost, a feat all the more impressive considering that iPhones were not available until 2008, or the fact that when discussing large media conglomerates, Mr. Wolk does not include Time Warner, despite referencing their crown jewel HBO several times, an oversight which considering the many entertainment holdings Time Warner does own (half of CW, HBO, Cinemax, TNT, TBS, Adult Swim, CNN, HLN, Warner Brothers studio) seems quite the mistake. Another poorly checked fact that struck me was when it was written that "Xbox was the first entrant into the game when they introduced video apps to the Xbox 360 in 2011," a fact that is massively untrue considering that the Wii first had Netflix capability in Spring 2010.
If you did not have a vast depth of knowledge in this space, you would be forgiven for not noticing oversights such as these. But for a book that pertains to be in part an overview of the TV industry, I feel that the glaring mistakes somewhat undermine the expertise. After all, would it not be unreasonable to assume that if key facts are wrong, are the opinions based upon them too? If this book were not edited by scoundrels, I feel that it would be much stronger, possibly 4 stars for its use and potential. But owing to the numerous errors, I feel that 2 stars is the most generous I can do.
It is clear that Mr. Wolk is knowledgeable in the TV space. What is also clear is that whoever proof-read this book is not. How else to explain claims that Mr. Wolk used his iPhone in 2005 to download 40-odd episodes of Lost, a feat all the more impressive considering that iPhones were not available until 2008, or the fact that when discussing large media conglomerates, Mr. Wolk does not include Time Warner, despite referencing their crown jewel HBO several times, an oversight which considering the many entertainment holdings Time Warner does own (half of CW, HBO, Cinemax, TNT, TBS, Adult Swim, CNN, HLN, Warner Brothers studio) seems quite the mistake. Another poorly checked fact that struck me was when it was written that "Xbox was the first entrant into the game when they introduced video apps to the Xbox 360 in 2011," a fact that is massively untrue considering that the Wii first had Netflix capability in Spring 2010.
If you did not have a vast depth of knowledge in this space, you would be forgiven for not noticing oversights such as these. But for a book that pertains to be in part an overview of the TV industry, I feel that the glaring mistakes somewhat undermine the expertise. After all, would it not be unreasonable to assume that if key facts are wrong, are the opinions based upon them too? If this book were not edited by scoundrels, I feel that it would be much stronger, possibly 4 stars for its use and potential. But owing to the numerous errors, I feel that 2 stars is the most generous I can do.
November 12, 2015
Where is TV headed? Read this for a peek
Really like his bits and bolts approach and his bias (I feel) in favor of the viewer. Must-read for anyone in TV
Really like his bits and bolts approach and his bias (I feel) in favor of the viewer. Must-read for anyone in TV
December 15, 2016
Outstanding primer on TV and On Demand.. a must have for content producers
As I am moving into content production, I'm finding a delta between what was a good strategy six months ago and a good strategy now to monetize content. While this book was written in 2015, it is still a must read for the iTunes video producer to the indie filmmaker looking to monetize some aspect of their content. The author provides the basic blueprint on what is happening in front of us on television (and even cinema to a lesser extent), giving content producers a great understanding of how to unravel our strategy.
As I am moving into content production, I'm finding a delta between what was a good strategy six months ago and a good strategy now to monetize content. While this book was written in 2015, it is still a must read for the iTunes video producer to the indie filmmaker looking to monetize some aspect of their content. The author provides the basic blueprint on what is happening in front of us on television (and even cinema to a lesser extent), giving content producers a great understanding of how to unravel our strategy.
December 30, 2015
A pretty good book at where the television industry is today. As usual the author always notes this "might" be how the situation will play out or "might not" be how it plays out. Kind of like spitting into the wind and telling me where it might go. Captain Obvious. Either way, it's a good overview of the competing formats and if nothing else will alert you to the obvious if you work in the industry and maybe get your brain working on your own scenarios as far as keeping yourself relevant and working and paid.
November 19, 2015
Great overview of the tv landscape and how its being disrupted.
October 20, 2019
Great insights valid even today
The book has been written in 2015 but the insights are valid even today. The analysis and predictions are mainly from a US perspective but considering OTT players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are global services, the book makes for an interest read.
The book has been written in 2015 but the insights are valid even today. The analysis and predictions are mainly from a US perspective but considering OTT players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are global services, the book makes for an interest read.
May 15, 2016
A topic I track daily on the blogs(including Wolks), this overview presents the fundamentals of the business of new, Internet-delivered networks, and the authors strong perspective that this is an unevenly distributed disruption, certainly from the perspective of whether the incumbent networks will weather the storm.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews