As cable TV gained widespread popularity in the 1980s and ’90s, experts predicted the demise of broadcast TV. They were wrong. The ’90s became widely known for having some of the broadcast networks’ best, most-watched series ever: “Seinfeld,” “ER,” “Friends” and “Home Improvement,” to name a few.
Although cable took longer to triumph than originally anticipated, it has reigned supreme for years for one simple reason: original content. HBO struck gold in 1998 with “Sex and the City” and followed that success with “The Sopranos” in 1999 and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” a year later.
When they noticed that cable TV offered better options, consumers began to shift their viewing away from the broadcast networks.