Whether you realize it or not, yesterday, January 26, 2026, was the 100th anniversary of John Logie Baird, who showed the world the first television broadcast using radio signals to 40 members of the Royal Institution and a journalist from The Times. Starting with a blurry image containing 30 lines and a frame rate of 5FPS, modern TVs can now display 8K UHD content and frame rates exceeding 120FPS.
But after 100 years, is TV still relevant in a world where phones are used by almost 71% of the world's population? My short answer is that it is still relevant but in another generation it will join landlines and DVD players on the list of devices that no longer exist in the home.
Unstoppable Extinction
Let's look at the production of TVs and smartphones from 2014 to 2025. Clearly, smartphone sales will be six times that of TVs. This is an amazing statistic when you consider that the average selling price of a smartphone is more expensive than a smart TV. Yesterday I went to Seng Heng and the selling price of a 65″ 4K LED TV was as low as RM1400. The price of a mid-range phone like the newly launched Oppo Reno15 F starts at RM1499 with only a 6.57″ screen.
Smartphone production in 2025 increased by 2% last year compared to 2024 while smart TV production is predicted to decrease by 3% in the same period. Phones are becoming more popular and vice versa for TVs.
The future of TV looks bleaker when you also look at the fate of television stations around the world. In Malaysia, ASTRO and Media Prima each showed a drastic reduction in revenue. The number of subscribers and advertising has fallen sharply because users’ attention is now stolen by smartphones. If ads used to be watched on TV, now they are on IG and YouTube almost all the time because influencers are constantly selling sponsored items without having to wait for commercial breaks.
Linear vs Streaming Content
Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you watched live TV and when will you watch TV content at a specific time and day? The last time for me was during the live broadcast of Tun Abdullah Badawi's funeral last year. The last series that was watched at a specific time and day was probably during the Mythbusters era that was still on Discovery Channel.
Do you still remember the gist of the show?
I have a hunch my answer might be the same as yours. Who has time to watch TV only at a specific time. In the streaming world, we watch when we feel like it and only when the time is right, making the linear TV format out of sync with the current trend. I would also bet that you have been streaming Shopee, TikTok or Instagram live more than TV in the last three years.
Secondary Screen and Zero Attention Span Viewers
Netflix has realized that their current enemy is short-form vertical video and podcasts. In this year's smartphone app update, more vertical video and podcasts will be served to customers through a new interface. While waiting for this to happen, Netflix content has been transformed for the "secondary screen" generation. This is a new phenomenon where viewers are still on their phones even when Netflix content is being streamed.
It's funny to see Quibi labeled a failed platform because the short vertical video content they pioneered was considered a stupid idea five years ago. In fact, if Quibi launches in 2025, it might be a hot platform because of the video feature that automatically changes to landscape or portrait on phones and the popularity of popular short TV series now.
TV is no longer the primary screen for the generation of secondary screens. Like all secondary things in your home now, over time it will just collect dust. When forgotten, it will no longer be used. If eventually, there will be no replacements to buy
Next Evolution
I predict that the future of TV will change shape and definition. I can see the future of big TVs in the living room being replaced by smart glasses with XR technology. Virtual TVs with a size of 200″ will be able to be watched directly using modern smart glasses.
Physical TVs will no longer be sold in landscape format. The TVs of the future are all vertical like the Samsung Sero that was offered in Malaysia five years ago. Vertical video will become increasingly dominant (even now it might be said that vertical video is dominant) and the daily norm. Don't laugh because a decade ago when 16:9 TVs were on sale, some said there was no market for a TV with a cinematic ratio. Samsung Sero is like Quibi that came before the market was ready for it.
In conclusion, happy 100th anniversary to television. But no product will truly remain relevant forever. Nokia, Blockbuster, Borders, Toys R Us, MySpace and Blackberry are all extinct because they are no longer needed by society. TV will simply evolve into a new form just as the PC, camera, phone, iPod and web browser were combined into the iPhone by Steve Jobs over 19 years ago.
