​Streaming services, social media, and other tech innovations of the recent past aren’t a threat to the cable business, but part of the reason that we’re now in a “golden age” of television, according to a string of executives who spoke at The Cable Show in Los Angeles on Thursday.

AMC Networks boss Josh Sapan said that the series that have made AMC a cable powerhouse probably wouldn’t have found an audience if viewers still only had linear broadcasts as their only option.

With so much rich detail in series like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” viewers need to really pay attention to what’s going on the screen, or else it may pass them by, Sapan said. DVR, on-demand, and streaming have made it possible to avoid those missed opportunities.

“I think all of these changes in tech actually facilitated people paying more attention and gave them more focus, like in a darkened movie theater,” Sapan said.

BET chief Debra Lee said that social media, particularly Twitter, allow her to cut through the clutter and know exactly how her shows are performing without having to wait for Nielsen data or other metrics.

“Twitter is immediate feedback, both on the creative side, and as a network executive, in how a show is doing,” Lee said. “During the BET Awards, I need to have all top ten trending topics on Twitter and then I know it’s a hit. You know that night whether you have a hit or not—it’s a built-in focus group.”

Even Cox Communications Patrick Esser conceded that streaming services and other OTT platforms helped cable providers up their game and improve their product.

“I also have a video service and Netflix keeps me on my toes,” Esser said. It makes me think about a world where my customers want content on-demand anywhere they go, and how do I get those rights for them.”

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