Stating that television has lost its central position from the twentieth century but has not completely disappeared, Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Department of Radio, Television and Cinema, Asst. Prof. Denizcan Kabaş said: “Even if the screen changes its form, the tradition of collective viewing at home will continue. The future of television will be built largely on this. It will offer a screen experience that is both personalized and collective at the same time.”
Emphasizing that digital platforms are no longer competitors of television but have become the new centers of the television ecosystem, Asst. Prof. Kabaş stated: “In the near future, television will take on a hybrid form. Program schedules will continue, live broadcasts will remain, and at the same time a modular content universe will become widespread in which we can pause, rewind, and use interactive elements while watching.”
Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Department of Radio, Television and Cinema, Asst. Prof. Denizcan Kabaş shared his evaluations on the future of television.
Televisions will transform from devices into access surfaces
Regarding whether televisions will be replaced by mobile devices, Asst. Prof. Kabaş said: “I do not think that television will disappear completely, but it will certainly not continue in its current form either. Television is no longer primarily a device. It is transforming into an access surface. It will continue to exist in our homes as a large screen, but its function will change. Considering current devices and usage practices, a layered structure in which digital platforms, game consoles, social media content, and live broadcasts merge will define the new meaning of television in the near future. The real question is not whether television will remain, but what it will transform into. Twenty years from now, television will still maintain its importance as the largest screen in the home, but the content on that screen will be platform-centered rather than based on traditional broadcasting logic.”
Where is the debate on whether television is dead or alive heading?
Evaluating the long-standing debate on whether television is dead, Asst. Prof. Kabaş stated: “We have seen this debate repeated at every stage of the evolution of communication and media tools. Similar claims were made for radio and cinema. Yet none of them disappeared entirely. They only changed form. Today, we may be in a period that is called the death of television, but what is actually happening is this: the central position of television in the twentieth century has ended. This is quite natural. The digital age has freed the audience from one-way flow, and options have become highly diversified. The monopoly of television has been broken, and in this sense, the media ecosystem has gone through a democratizing transformation. Therefore, what we are witnessing is not death, but displacement. Of course, this situation should be evaluated not only from an optimistic perspective, but also from a critical one.”
The tradition of collective viewing at home will continue
Speaking about the future physical form of television, Asst. Prof. Kabaş said: “The physical form of television will become more permeable. Panels that cover entire walls, holographic projection surfaces, augmented reality layers. Many of these can already be experienced. However, what truly matters is not the structural feature of the technology, but the continuation of the practice of watching together. People still enjoy watching the same content in the same space. Even content consumed on different screens eventually becomes part of a shared experience. Simultaneous viewing practices continue to sustain the fundamental communicative act of discussing what is being watched while it is being watched. Therefore, even if the screen changes form, the tradition of collective viewing at home will continue. The future of television will be built largely on this, offering a viewing experience that is both personalized and collective at the same time.”
Digital platforms have become the new centers of the television ecosystem
Stating that platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix are no longer competitors but new centers of the television ecosystem, Asst. Prof. Kabaş continued: “They create not so much a threat as an unavoidable pressure for transformation. The rhythm of young audiences has accelerated, attention spans have narrowed, and content consumption has shifted from continuity to the logic of instant fragments. If traditional television remains completely outside of this structure, it will become invisible. Therefore, thinking in an integrated way is important for shaping the future. The inclusion of social media formats in traditional news content, the production of content suitable for these platforms by traditional television channels, and the effort to establish a social media interactive approach on television all reflect this transformation. Netflix reshaping dramatic structure, YouTube embedding its own genres and narrative forms into the value economy, and TikTok setting the rhythm are all processes that redefine what we understand as television in terms of device, form, and flow. In short, when television viewed platforms as threats, it lost ground in the past. Now it approaches them as opportunities for integration and is therefore transforming.”
Linearity in the digital field is evolving into new forms
Pointing out that linear broadcasting still relies on two strong areas, Asst. Prof. Kabaş said: “First, this broadcasting logic is associated with liveness. Breaking news, news programs, sports events, certain competition formats, and election periods gain meaning through live broadcasting. The second dynamic is routine. Knowing what we will encounter at a certain hour when we turn on the television, knowing that television news channels will show us significant events when they occur, and the continuity of content types aligned with the daily flow all operate in this context. These two areas ensure the continuity of the existence and importance of television. However, in dramatic content, documentaries, entertainment, and formats followed by young audiences, the significance of linear flow is gradually decreasing. Within certain live broadcasting formats, linearity in the digital field is evolving into new forms. Therefore, television will take on a hybrid form in the near future. Program schedules will continue, live broadcasts will remain, and at the same time a modular content universe will expand in which we can pause, rewind, and interactively use additional elements while watching.”
The mobile screen will not be abandoned, and the big screen will not be left behind
Addressing the views that television will turn into a medium for older generations due to young people preferring mobile screens, Asst. Prof. Kabaş concluded: “The preference for mobile screens is not solely related to television itself. New generations are accustomed to mobility, speed, and multitasking. This does not mean that television will be confined to older generations. Twenty years from now, television will not be a nostalgic object for young people. It will be the large screen version of multi-use experience. Young people will not give up the mobile screen, but they will not completely abandon the big screen either. What is transforming here is the context in which we consume content. Television, as always, exists in a reciprocal relationship with the audience. Today, this relationship is far more fragile, fluid, and interactive. Therefore, today’s young people will be the generation that reshapes television itself.”