Linear channels will have to become more nimble and embrace emerging digital platforms as both sources of revenue and content if they are going to survive in an era cord-cutters and cord nevers.

That was the key message at the Transforming Hollywood: The Future of Television Conference in Los Angeles on Friday.

With viewers opting to spend larger chunks of their free time online, rather than in front of their television sets, digital platforms like YouTube and social networks are posing a real threat to traditional broadcast and cable content providers.

“I hope it doesn’t mean the end of linear cable channels. But we’re not blind to the changes. We embrace those changes,” said Belisa Balaban, svp of alternative and live programming at Pivot, the year-old Millennial-focused cable channel owned by Participant Media. “Being able to be nimble would be the key. if there is a future, that’s our shot.”

She said Pivot had embraced YouTube as an avenue for introducing audiences to their programs, rather than a competitor. Pivot has placed the first episode of each show on YouTube before it’s broadcast premiere, in order to give viewers a chance to sample the show and drive them back to the linear channel.

“It’s effective. Nearly a million people watched the first episode of “Hit RECord on TV” on YouTube despite the fact that it’s significantly longer than most YouTube content,” Balaban told the conference.

Joe Matthews, Amazon Studios’ head of original comedy programming, agreed that giving viewers a free taste online of new shows is a smart move.

“We’re not saying you’re going to love it,” Matthews said. “But you can still watch the first three episodes of all of our series for free.”

And networks would be well-advised to start breaking down the wall between their properties and their viewers, since the new digital age is all about embracing intimacy and authenticity.

“It’s a point of view and a tone of voice and an authenticity that the fans and audiences are connecting with,” said Jamie Byrne, YouTube’s director of content strategy, when describing their most successful creators. “That’s the critical nature for us: the creators and the viewers are really connecting.”

Brief Take: Linear networks don’t have to view cord cutters or digital platforms as the enemy. They just have to learn how to be nimble and use them to their advantage.

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