Is Prime Time Going Away?

I have to ask the question … is prime time television in its most traditional sense going away? There are a few signs pointing in that direction.

1: NBC announced that it’s reducing its prime time window by an hour. It will now go from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, as it gives up the 10:00pm slot to its affiliates. I’ve been around long enough to remember when they ADDED that slot to bring in more “adult” programming. Now it’s shrinking. Will it get cut even more?

2. Amazon Prime added Thursday Night NFL Football to its lineup, seemingly stealing thunder and audiences from the networks who runs games during the week. Hmmm.

3. Did you watch the Emmy Awards this week? Streaming dominated, once again. Even for HBO who used to have appointment television now seems to be steering toward streaming HBO Max. To my eye, I didn’t see much in primetime awards.

I know I personally have not watched a prime time appointment tv show since before the pandemic, and that feels like a world ago. It is a world ago. Welcome to the new world, perhaps free of what we’ve long known as prime time.

What do you think? What’s your experience? JIM