Audiences Essay

"How does your own experience of media consumption illustrate wider patters of audience behavior?"

Many audiences have changed their behaviors through their own experience of media consumption. As an example in New Zealand, Kiwis spend more of a significant time watching TV with 118 minutes, rather than using other media platforms, but the gap is closing fast, because of COVID. SVoD comes comes in behind with 86 minutes 

Disney+ and Netflix are streaming services that have caught the attention of audiences which has changed their behaviors as streaming services attendance has increased over time. COVID is also responsible for this as COVID traps audiences at home and prevents them from going out to the cinemas for instance. Cinema attendance has been going down while SVoD and other streaming services like Netflix have gone up, the Cinema attendance is not on a rapid decline but it is slowly decreasing as people can watch movies for free at their homes rather than paying for it, most audiences go to the Cinema for a romantic setting or if they naturally go instead of staying home.

Most streaming services have got a lot of subscriptions like Disney+, Netflix, NEON, and Hulu. These platforms have received so many subscriptions because of the Gen Z, in New Zealand people aged 5-39 years are digital media dominates as the audiences have used web 2.0 to stream online videos (82%), 72% use SVoD and 68% use music streaming. In many cases these Media Consumptions have changes the audiences behavior as many people aren't watching television anymore and or aren't listening to the radio because everyone is subscribed to Spotify premium which helps them to stream and listen to any song where ever you are. 40-59 year old's are in the wider range of media as they still use the television (61%) but they do still watch online videos (58%). Age 60 and over are traditional media dominates as 83% of them watch television as they do not know how to use Web 2.0 to stream SVoD, 65% of them still use radios, but a shocking 26% use online videos.

Many Media Consumptions like YouTube have got audiences producing their own media for others to feel entertained by other than a movie, this ties in well with shirkys theory of end of audiences, shirkys theory is that normal everyday people can now make media even if they are not a producer for a movie all thanks to Web 2.0, YouTube, and TikTok are platform of media consumptions that can help people to people produce films/online videos. Shirky called these people "Prosumers".

Disney has caught the eye of many audiences and have changed their behavior when it comes to Web 2.0. Disney has announced their new streaming platform called "Disney+" with the the Disney movies, Films, and Documentaries. Audiences love Disney+ as it helps them to watch their favorite shows from Disney or shows that Disney has bought the right to. Disney+ is a streaming service with no ads and a way for media to be shared with audiences, Disney+ had gained more subscriptions in the last year as many people around the world are trapped inside their own home and cannot go out much, so all the can do is use SVoD, online videos, Disney+, and more.

AVATAR is a blockbuster that is streaming on SVoD platforms and can be watched at anytime, because of this AVATAR has gained a total of $3,286,000,000 BILLION dollars in Gross earnings from the release date on the 17th of December 2009 till now in 2021. Because of SVoD, DVD's are in the decreasing stage where not many DVD's are being made anymore for people to buy and watch as it is all online now and people can watch movies on SVoD at anytime and anywhere as long as they may have Wi-Fi. AVATAR is now streaming and accessible to watch on Disney+, and also IMDb.