By Joanne Esposito
Seventy years after television first appeared, Australians are still watching but what we call “TV” has changed.
Australian television launched in 1956, just in time for the Melbourne Olympics, beginning in black and white before colour arrived in 1975. Over the decades, shows like Play School, Home and Away, Neighbours, Countdown and Kath & Kim became part of Australian life.
Then came reality TV. Shows such as Big Brother, Married at First Sight, The Block and MasterChef helped make reality television a ratings powerhouse. But the biggest revolution came with streaming.
Today, Australians don’t necessarily wait for a show to come on at a particular time. We watch when we want, where we want and increasingly on whatever screen is closest.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, 91 per cent of Australian adults used an online service to watch video during a typical week in 2025, while paid streaming services were used by 68 per cent.
Paul Perigo, a former TV producer at Network Ten and Judge with the TV Logies, said: “I think TV has totally evolved because our world has changed. We are consuming totally different now.”
The rise of streaming has transformed our viewing habits, and changed the way we watch TV, but traditional television isn’t dead. Despite the rise of phones, tablets and streaming services, the TV set remains dominant in the home.
Perhaps the real question isn’t whether Australians are still watching TV, but what we mean by “TV”.
Decades ago, watching TV meant sitting in front of a box and watching whatever was broadcast. Today, it can mean live sport, Netflix, YouTube, catch-up television or streaming on a smart TV.
The technology has changed. The schedule has changed. But Australians are still watching. We may not watch television the way we used to, but as Perigo puts it: “TV is fun, it’s where the cool kids hang out.”
Featured image: We’ve gone from black and white TV to streaming on our phones, tablets and smart TVs. Photo: Pikurā/CC/Pixabay
