Apparently, despite the entertainment industry having been hit very hard by the pandemic globally, TV streaming services are doing a roaring trade.
I have no idea how other countries (ie outside UK), except New Zealand, pay for their television channels but I assume that most are financed either by personal subscription, though advertisements or political donations or a combination of those.
In the UK it used to be the public service broadcaster (BBC) financed by a license fee without which it is illegal to watch a television so, in effect, everyone with a TV has to have a license. Then along came Independent Television (ITV and it's offshoots) financed by advertising. That was how it carried on for a number of decades.
In 1989 SKY came along and charged for satellite television with 4 channels. Now it includes most mainstream channels together with SKY channels.
As the number of 'free to view' channels proliferated Freeview was established in 2002 to control the potential chaos on the airwaves.
However it is now so complicated that I doubt many people have a clue about the vast range of services available unless they happen to want to watch something in particular when they find it's no longer available on a free-to-view channel.
The first thing that I noticed was when the Formula 1 Grand Prix ceased to be available live on the BBC and went to SKY who outbid the BBC for the rights knowing that many people would join SKY so that they could see it. There was such an outcry that a BBC channel was granted a few years of an edited version later in the day and a live UK GP. I can live without the GP.
I don't know who has all the major football matches but I assume that it's SKY and BT between them because they have a great deal of the UK's sport now.
The only thing that will really annoy me is if Wimbledon deserts the BBC.
Several years ago I wanted to watch something that was on Netflix so I got the trial package for a month or whatever it was and, because I wanted to continue with the series I just carried on with the subscription. I suspect many people do that.
Now there are many subscription channels including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Britbox (A joint BBC/ITV venture with old box sets), Disney Plus and Now TV. I have no idea, apart from Britbox, what they offer but apparently they all have at least something 'everyone wants'.
I am fortunate that I don't want anything more that the standard BBC and ITV and existing free-to-view channels although I haven't cancelled my Netflix subscription (which is silly because I've only watched The Crown).
Obviously there are people who spend a fortune to get their football or whatever else on TV or all these subscription channels wouldn't exist. Personally I shall just bumble along paying my license fee and enjoying what's on offer or switching off and listening to music. Which reminds me that YouTube also has a subscription service which, so far, I've avoided.
