Computers and televisions are slowly pairing up with the help of other devices to enrich the living-room experience.

Surveys are showing that online TV viewership is on the rise.

With the advent of Internet-capable TVs, we are going to see increasing attraction toward online offerings in the years to come.

Directly stated, the connected TV opportunity is here now. And the Christian content and technology world is in position to take hold of this market.

Content portals

TV has formatting guidelines, length requirements, advertising quotas, standards and practices.

As a result, the vast majority of sermon messages, Christian features of any length, independent projects, etc. have had little chance of getting attention or breaking into that world. The Christian TV marketplace has been out of reach for most.

And even though there has been an explosion of new video content produced in churches, there has not been a pathway of distribution for their excellent productions to reach mass audiences in the U.S. or around the world.

The connected TV movement is changing those dynamics and bringing with it a boon of opportunity for Christian content creators, distributors, and aggregators who can work together to deliver the gospel to connected televisions.

Christians have the opportunity to create an entirely new breed of content portals and viewing experiences on the Web. Now, instead of facing legacy TV barriers, content producers will have cost effective – (in some cases ) no cost – distribution channels through which they will be able to deliver their content.

The new generation of digital content portals will also give creators a much more expansive and interesting number of formats to experiment with as well, from short two-minute snappy features, to ten minute skits, to full blown hour-long productions.

On teaching and preaching portals, length of programming will no longer be a factor. Viewers will watch these channels because they present best in class spiritual content, curated, aggregated and played in a trusted environment.

Viewing experiences

Web TV is not just TV on the Internet.

With the latest breed of technology being built into a new generation of devices, Web TV viewing will either be live or available with ‘start-over’ viewing. Start over means people will be able to watch a program in a time-shift mode, slightly delayed but while the program is still airing live. A typical example of this is watching a sermon 15 minutes behind schedule, like many people do with a DVR.

Another difference is catch-up watching, where a recorded version of a message can be viewed again in a linear schedule after the program has already aired.

It is the home where people are watching Web TV and the content choices appears to be increasingly…live channels. Sports and news are driving this consumption. By making the right moves, professionals working in Christian media have an opportunity to get in there to help drive these new viewing trends. It really is a pretty unique moment, I believe.

The Christian content is there. The digital distribution channels are being built.

History repeats itself

Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 14:26

Since the first radio waves carried messages to public audiences, folks have been challenged, encouraged, exhorted, fed, and built up in their Christian faith by gospel media.

Now, once more, the Church has an incredible opportunity to use video media to also bring the gospel into the homes of those who do not know Christ … this time through connected TV’s.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8