Television

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment in television broadcasting is expected have slow to average growth through 2033, depending on the role. For example, reporters, journalists, and news analysts will have a decline in employment. Factors expected to contribute to this slowed growth rate include consolidation of stations under large networks, which allows networks to share programming and make better use of workers. New computerized technologies require less specialized training for their operation, reducing the need for certain types of workers, particularly those in editing, recording, and graphics creation. Competition from cable systems, satellite, streaming, and other pay television services, and from widespread use of the Internet will also contribute to the slower growth in employment. Some broadcasting jobs will fare better than others, though: for instance, broadcast and sound engineering technicians are projected to have average employment growth through 2033. TV and radio stations, as well as businesses and schools are buying new equipment to improve their video and audio capabilities.

The pandemic caused widespread lockdowns in the U.S., as well as throughout the world, which resulted in an increase in TV and connected TV (CTV) viewership. As lockdowns eased, there was a slight drop in TV viewership, but CTV usage continued to be above pre-COVID-19 levels. A Nielsen report explains that CTV has been gaining in popularity because it "offers consumers an array of content options, ranging from streaming apps to gaming to OTT [over-the-top] channels." In 2023, marketers in North America moved 45 percent of their advertising budgets to CTV. Nielsen reported in January 2024 that "streaming programming, enabled by CTV, has accounted for more than one-third of total TV usage in the U.S. since February 2023 and more than 36 percent since May 2023." This strong growth is expected to continue in the near future.

The television broadcasting industry experienced a drop in revenue in 2020, due to the delays and cancellations in content production and reduced consumer sentiment during the pandemic. The industry started to recover with slow growth in 2021. Post pandemic, TV broadcasters are also expected to fare better than other legacy media industries due to the dominance of large media companies with larger budgets and more resources. IBISWorld estimated the U.S. television broadcasting industry at $73 billion in early 2025, with .8 percent growth expected for this year. As described in its report, moving forward, more consolidation is predicted among the major players and consumers will continue to ditch their cable packages for alternatives that cost less. CNBC also forecast a return to normalcy in advertising revenue in television broadcasting and other media in the near future, after a slowdown in spending prior to the presidential election.

As of November 2024, there were 11,234 TV production businesses in the U.S., with total employment of 75,883 people. Overall the global media and entertainment market, including the television industry, is expected to have compound annual growth of nearly 4 percent from 2024 through 2028, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.

The bulk of television industry revenues come from advertising. MarketShare reports that television continues to be the most effective medium for major advertisers. Advertising is driven by the state of the economy, however, and revenues typically decline during economic slowdowns and recessions and pick up when the economy improves. For example, after the 2007–2009 recession, the Television Bureau of Advertising reported that advertising expenditures increased by nearly 8 percent in 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, to a total of $68.7 billion. Post pandemic, local TV advertising revenue is expected to grow by 3.6 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

As of May 2023, the top media companies by revenue were Walt Disney Company, valued at more than $183.6 billion in revenue; Comcast Corporation, ($170.46 billion); Charter Communications Inc. (nearly $53.6 billion); and Warner Bros. Discovery (more than $31.3 billion).

The TV industry continues to be greatly affected by developments in digital programming. The cost of a high-definition television (HDTV) set, capable of providing viewers with high-quality sound and image, has decreased over the years, enabling more people to afford them. Because of the Federal Communications Commission mandate that all stations broadcast in digital format as of 2009, broadcasters had to invest in new recording and transmission equipment, and some consumers had to either buy a new television set or a set-top box that converts digital signals to analog signals.

Interactive television is changing the television industry. In the mid-1990s, many experts predicted that interactive TV would never become popular, but analysts are now recognizing that interactive TV has huge profit potential. Television viewers can now play along with game shows, express opinions on social issues during broadcasts, or order custom programming that can be saved for later viewing. The most popular interactive feature, though, is streaming video, which allows subscribers to view movies and television selected from a large library of programs on demand. Television broadcasters are expected to produce more online content, as well as make more content available for online consumption, in the coming years.

As the television broadcasting industry continues to evolve with further innovations in digital, interactive, and streaming television, job roles and education and training qualifications will also change. Behind-the-scenes television industry workers will need to be on the cutting edge of digital and Internet technology to succeed.