Gen Z and Gen Y aren’t just watching video content—they’re rewriting the rules of engagement. That’s the big wake-up call from DCN’s latest exclusive study for our members, Decoding Video Content Engagement: Gen Z & Gen Y in Focus.
Focused on how younger audiences interact with video across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X, the research reveals a seismic shift in behavior. “They don’t just watch — they engage,” the report states. This highlights how younger generations like, comment, and co-create instead of being content to passively consume. For media brands, the report offers essential intelligence that profoundly impacts the future of video strategy and audience growth.
Key research findings
DCN’s study delivers a detailed breakdown of how Gen Z and Gen Y engage across platforms, what content and creators they connect with, and how media brands can build relevance in a fragmented, fast-paced digital landscape. Among the key findings:
Younger audiences scroll fast, but they stay for authenticity. The three-second rule rules everything: Bold visuals, compelling storytelling, and authenticity are essential from frame one.
Creators are brands. Independent creators aren’t just influencers—they’re media ecosystems.
YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram lead the pack. While Facebook maintains its hold on older millennials, TikTok has Gen Z’s full attention. YouTube is the universal middle ground, but each platform demands a unique approach and longer-form content.
New rules of engagement
This research unpacks the new rules of engagement in the video landscape, analyzing everything from platform behavior to creator trust and brand perception.
Viewing behavior redefined
Gen Z and Gen Y don’t passively “watch.” They like, comment, remix, and participate. Brands that encourage interaction win their attention.
Creators are the new kingmakers
Independent creators aren’t just more trusted than traditional media, they’re setting the bar for what’s entertaining, authentic, and engaging.
Platform wars
TikTok dominates Gen Z, while Gen Y still lingers on Facebook. YouTube offers depth; Instagram delivers instant hits. Understanding this split is critical.
Vertical video power
Whether it’s News, Sports, Lifestyle, or Entertainment, content verticals play out differently across platforms and generations.
Strategic framework for media brands
“The research shows the mission hasn’t changed: build trust through quality media. But the playbook? It’s being blown up and rewritten by Gen Z,” observes DCN CEO Jason Kint. He points out that “This generation doesn’t just expect content to be authentic and human, they demand it as a price of entry or will scroll right by you. If your video strategy still feels like it was made for TV, you’re already losing. Brands will need to catch up or get left behind.”
To that end, DCN’s research report goes beyond the “what” and delivers the “how.” It identifies clear, actionable strategies for media companies to thrive:
Lead with interactivity
Brands must create video content with participation in mind—think remixable content, Q&As, duets, and challenges.
Prioritize authenticity
In a world where the raw and real outperform the overly produced, brands must sound human and feel genuine to build trust.
Embrace co-creation
Younger audiences want to participate in the content, not just watch it. Partner with creators who have cultural currency and credibility.
Use the right platform for the right story
A one-size-fits-all video strategy is no longer viable. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook all deliver value differently—and DCN’s data shows how to play to each strength.
For this generation, video isn’t just something to watch, it’s something to do. Engagement, co-creation, and alignment with values like authenticity and cultural fluency are increasingly central to how content is received and shared.
The full research report is available to DCN members only. Register to or login to download (on desktop see top right corner of page, on mobile the top center). Download buttons will appear at the top and bottom of the page.
Hulu and Netflix’s streaming services turn 18 this year. This marks a symbolic coming of age for two pioneers that took two very different paths but nevertheless freed us from appointment TV and — let’s not hold back — reinvented television in the process.
The coming of age is not only symbolic. If you’ve been in the TV business for a while, like I have, you must have felt a wind of change over the past year with the rapid rise and adoption of ad-supported streaming. In meetings with advertisers, agencies and media companies leading up to the TV upfronts this year, I’ve been struck by how much streaming was now on everyone’s minds. Not as a distraction, or even an add-on, but as a central component in upfront negotiations. Streaming has matured into a strong, accountable media channel old enough to vote, get married, and bring its own fireworks to the negotiating table.
The numbers back it up. At MediaRadar, we’re monitoring ad spend and campaign creatives across all major media channels 24/7. We’re seeing three big signs of streaming’s coming of age: in how growth is spread across most platforms, not just one or two; in the number of industries embracing it; and in the diversity of companies signing on as advertisers.
We just released The 2025 MediaWatch® Streaming TV Report to quantify recent US trends and help advertisers make data-informed decisions about their streaming plans. Let me sum up what we found in those three key growth areas.
Streaming advertising spend is growing across virtually all platforms
It’s going to take some time to see this year’s upfront deals reflected in the data. However, a full-year analysis of streaming budgets over the past couple of years shows clearly what trendline we’re on. We measured ad revenue for nine top streaming platforms over that period and found that it increased 17% in 2024 to reach $12.9 billion.
Hulu led the way with close to $4.5 billion in ad revenue last year, nearly 3X as much as second-place Peacock TV — a clear reflection of its first-mover advantage and experience in ad sales. With a growth of 15% year-over-year, the OG ad-supported platform isn’t resting on its laurels either, but Peacock TV and Max are growing a clip faster (+19% and +20% respectively), while Tubi TV (+27%) and Paramount+ (+31%) are racing to close the gap.
As for Netflix, its comparatively low growth rate in 2024 (+8%) had more to do with the company’s cautious rollout so far. (It has more to lose by cannibalizing its considerable SVOD base) than its full potential as an advertising platform. But it’s turning up the heat in 2025: Despite a challenging economic outlook, Netflix is aiming to double its ad revenue this year.
A wide cross-section of industries are embracing streaming
Advertising on streaming platforms has gotten a lot more polished in the past 12 months. Targeting, creativity, and frequency control have improved dramatically — even though I’m seeing a lot of State Farm ads featuring Jason Bateman these days. But then again, I like Jason Bateman and I’m due for an insurance quote, so they might be onto something.
Speaking of insurance, finance & insurance firms topped the advertisers list on streaming TV last year with nearly $1.7 billion in media spend, followed by retail ($1.2 billion) and pharma ($1.1 billion). Among the leading industries, pharma, restaurants, professional services, and non-prescription remedies are all growing at a YOY rate of at least 20%.
Can you guess what brand spent the most on streaming TV in 2024? That was Pfizer, with a budget of $140 million (+11%) and at a time the company was slashing costs. But even more telling is the fact that 29 brands spent more than $50 million on streaming last year, and they came from eight different industries. Streaming already represents 25% of total TV spend for auto manufacturers, 26% for retailers, and 31% for travel companies. It’s definitely not a niche channel anymore.
Streaming appeals to brands of all sizes
The third and final sign of maturity I want to point out is how much streaming has become an appealing option not just for big brands, but for smaller brands too.
While the number of big spenders—those with streaming budgets of at least $50 million—rose 16% last year, the total number of streaming advertisers, both large and small, jumped 29% to nearly 14,000 individual companies. The vast majority of these advertisers—81%—didn’t spend a dime on traditional TV.
To gauge the health of a new medium, we often focus on big news coming from big-name brands signing nine-figure deals. But it’s good to remember how crucial it can be to appeal to the long tail. While the leading brands are using streaming to expand their existing TV strategy, SMBs without the same marketing resources are taking advantage of self-service programmatic tools to experiment with TV advertising, many of them for the first time. Thanks to streaming, thousands of new advertisers are adding TV to their media mix.
Can streaming fend off tariffs and economic uncertainty?
Will streaming continue to grow at the same rate in 2025? Probably not. From consumer confidence to supply chains, pricing, and budgeting pressures, the current economic environment is too uncertain to invite confidence. In fact, most industry analysts have already revised their advertising estimates for the year. Jerome Powell’s remarks at the most recent Fed meeting — “I don’t think we can say which way this will shake out” — weren’t exactly encouraging.
But the fundamentals are finally in place for streaming: strong platforms, near-universal industry support, and high relevance to brands of all sizes. In fact, if advertisers are going to bet on one channel this year, they need to bet on streaming TV, says eMarketer. That’s because CPMs are coming down, streaming ads are successfully threading the needle between digital and traditional advertising, and yes, they’re measurable too.
Founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1801, The New York Post prides itself on being America’s oldest newspaper. These days, it boasts 871k daily print readers. However, in its more than two centuries of existence, the outlet has grown to be far more than a scrappy New York tabloid. It has developed into a true multi-format media brand by respecting audience needs across the networks where it operates and by making full use of its IP. It has also deployed other techniques worth exploring.
Warren Cohen, Vice-President and Head of Video and Audio at New York Post Digital Network, jokes that despite the age of the publication, his team is the “youngest video department” in the country. This underscores how relatively-new the brand’s cross-platform approach is. (Cohen has had his role for just under a decade.) Yet, The Post’s multi-platform strategy is a mature one that seeks to maximize the various tools at the team’s disposal.
A video strategy means YouTube (and more)
Central to any brand’s video approach is, of course, YouTube, where The Post has 1.86 million subscribers. Its content focuses on news, entertainment and sports and the channel features both timely clips and original series. There is plenty of video at NYPost.com too. However, Cohen explains that “we want to offer our audience things that they can’t get anywhere else on site.” He adds that the brand also wants “engagement throughout our owned and operated platforms, our open web product, our mobile app.”
This neatly sums up how Cohen and his team are doing things. Respecting the platforms they use is central to the strategy. Not everything is intended to be part of a funnel leading people to the outlet’s website or the print product. While doing so would be possible in an ideal world, Cohen is realistic. “I just don’t think that’s user behavior,” he says.
Cohen also notes that the audience on places like YouTube “tends to, in general, be younger. They also “spend most of their lives in the social networks and not necessarily websites.” This all means “we are trying to tweak the way we approach the off-platform audience” The takeaway is that trials and testing is crucial.
Beyond YouTube, The New York Post has built up a significant presence on the video-based social platforms. It has 2.2 million followers on TikTok and 1.6 million on Instagram. The Post also has a separate NY Post Sports Instagram account with over 41,000 followers. Cohen believes that “social really excels with short duration views… It’s the joke, the quick hit, the reaction.” Meanwhile, he observes that YouTube videos are increasing in length.
Cross-platform monetization strategy
As the video work is not primarily a funnel to subscriptions, it has to be monetized separately. This is done through a mix of programmatic advertising and sponsorships. For instance, a tri-state Cadillac dealership sponsors “24 Hours”, as series the publication makes with reality stars. Cohen is looking to develop more such deals in the future.
The determination to fully cash-in on IP goes beyond sponsorship. Cohen reveals that “we’ve had a good upsell to kind of the television and broadcast markets, and that’s always been really organic.”
He has a word of warning for others in the industry: “I think a lot of rivals might have been overly invested in studio and development operations.” While The Postwants to use the best technology and infrastructure it can, and its infamous Page Six column launched a video studio in January 2024 “we really try to let the content speak for itself, and then see where can use it to adapt.”
He also says that others “have added a lot of staff and infrastructure, hoping for big payoff.” In part he notes that this is impart because of consolidation the TV markets, and because “selling the networks is not as lucrative as it once was.”
Success stories from The Post’s approach include “Bronx Zoo ‘90”, a show about the 1990 New York Yankees which was turned from a newspaper series into a TV series by Peacock. There is also “Smothered”, a digital video series that was upsold to TLC and ran for several years. Of the strategy, Cohen says, “we’re really trying to leverage and ‘video-ify’ the best of the newsroom.”
Despite being a New York institution, The Post has been sure to have connections in Los Angeles. Troy Searer, president of New York Post Entertainment, serves as the company’s ambassador to Tinseltown and Cohen works closely with him “to make sure that no IP is left behind”.
An adaptable audio strategy
On the audio side, The Post’s podcast strategy is to offer deeper context for its audience. “They’re the number one product for engagement,” says Cohen. Sports is a particularly important player in the company’s podcasting roster. It has separate shows for almost every New York-based team. Turns out, Giants fans don’t want to listen to podcasts that are discussing the Jets, or, as Cohen puts it: “It would be hard to have a football podcast overseas and have it feature Manchester United and Manchester City, right?”. Quite so!
“Podcasting is a giant area for us to … use our expertise in a different way,” he adds.
There is more to come on the podcasting front. The New York Post has struck a deal with Red Seat Ventures, an independent podcast production firm that was bought by Fox, to develop a flagship podcast. Cohen describes the creation of such a show as “long overdue.”
He and his team try and maximize the value they get from every piece of podcast content. “We get a lot of breakout clips,” from a 30 to 45-minute podcast, reveals Cohen. “We get a lot of moments.” He says that The New York Post wants to “micro chunk the content in a way that the audience can consume it however they want.”
Don’t fear cannibalization
The big worry many publishers have when they start making content on platforms outside of their own website is cannibalization. While they might be helping YouTube get an audience, they may not necessarily be doing so for their own outlet. This is not a concern for Cohen. “We don’t see any cannibalization of audience” he says. “We see audience that we might not have otherwise reached.”
During the recent New York Knicks NBA playoff game against the Detroit Pistons, The Post held a watch party from which it shared clips. “We’re creating content that we do distribute through all our platforms,” says Cohen.
Ultimately, Cohen says that the work he and his team is doing is “a meaningful contributor [to] revenues for the company at this point.” It shows that investing in a dedicated multi-format approach that adapts each piece of content specifically for the it is on can pay off.
The world of news is changing – and the pace of transformation isn’t slowing anytime soon. As social media commands ever-increasing attention and content creators continue to gain traction, it’s no surprise that audiences are switching from broadcast news or reading an article to hearing a 30-second news synopsis on TikTok. In fact, companies like Influencer Journalism are already actively working to connect legacy media with influencers, while others like NBCUniversal have announced mobile-first news initiatives.
To keep up with evolving preferences, it’s vital that legacy media adapts, and news executives remain tuned into to audience expectations. That means learning from those who have found success from social media. News influencers, who are content creators that post about current events and happenings, are already popular with young audiences. And their preferences will undoubtedly shape the future of news.
Here are five tips from three successful, TikTok news influencers that media organizations can learn from, and put to work, as they build their audience growth strategies.
1. More fun, less complicated
News influencer @SmallTownIndiana, 48, who is located in Indianapolis – and refrains from using his real name to protect his privacy – has garnered about 179,500 followers on TikTok. He posts videos about local happenings and breaking news in Indiana.
He says that when it comes to viewer engagement, legacy media should focus on being a little less serious and a lot more comprehensible.
In fact, SmallTownIndiana says that after the January TikTok ban, his news stories no longer perform best on his account; it’s those like his series about finding the state’s best pork tenderloin sandwich that do better. The serious news topic that does perform is related to the high-profile Delphi murders, involving two teenage girls, which he also has a series about. Videos related to both of these topics have garnered over 100,000 views.
Although incorporating fun isn’t possible for every news story, especially those that are sensitive, it is important to balance serious topics with lighter ones, or perhaps create social content that is centered on lighter material or approaches. And for almost any topic, simplifying subjects and making them accessible will help engage broader audiences.
2. Short form news delivery
Another point that SmallTownIndiana cited was that traditional media organizations have the tendency to give people information in large doses and deep dives. For example, broadcast news requires people to sit through a 30-minute to one-hour long newscast to see what they are interested in. Yet, many news consumers want their information delivered conveniently and quickly.
“TikTok, to me, it has landed at a time where people are always on the go,” he said.
SmallTownIndiana said that his TikTok page gets a lot of traction because he relays information about what’s happening in his city or state in less than two minutes. As a result, he said, many viewers have told him that they come to his page first if a newsworthy event is happening. This is evident in his view count, which consistently sits in the thousands range.
His big takeaway is to think about ways in which audiences can find what they are interested in easily and consume it in a quick, easily digestible way.
3. Prioritize authenticity
Twenty-seven-year-old news influencer @_imjustzander, who has nearly 224,000 followers on TikTok, advises legacy media to appeal to Generation Z and Millennials in a respectful, yet authentic way. “People are smart, especially Gen Z,” said Zander (who prefers to use only his first name for privacy reasons). “They know when companies are trying too hard.”
Zander, who is located in Georgia, has been creating content since 2020 and makes videos primarily focused on political and global news. His experience growing an audience has shown him that authenticity is key.
His videos are quick-hitting and timely. He posts about six to eight times a day, while working a full-time job. He says his legal background has helped him succeed when talking to an audience on social media – and that news companies need to hone their communication style to resonate with their values, especially in the digital age.
“The pendulum is always swinging when it comes to social media,” he said. “And right now the pendulum has swung to where people just crave authenticity. People are so done with influencers; people are so done with just all of this over-professionalism.”
For legacy media, Zander believes that means leaning less into trends, which come and go quickly. Instead, they should focus on topics that are important to younger generations and do so in a way that respects their perspective.
4. Allow reporters to be real people
Fortesa Laitifi – @hifortesa – is a 31-year-old Los Angeles based news influencer who posts videos about politics, abortion rights, and the lives of child influencers. Given her background in journalism, which she received a master’s degree in, and her success in garnering an audience of about 42,500 followers on TikTok, she advises legacy media to have their reporters post on social media.
“Legacy media needs to meet people where they are,” said Latifi. “Either you want people to consume your stories or you don’t.” And to do that, they need to be present on social media not hidden behind a masthead.
Latifi cited The New York Times as an example, as the publication has seen success on TikTok and received hundreds of thousands of views by having its reporters explain their stories.
Another way for legacy media to accomplish this, she said, could be by having a designated TikTok person who posts videos. Dave Jorgenson from The Washington Post was one of the first and remains one of the best. With his presence on TikTok, the newspaper has amassed 1.8 million followers. “That really changed the way people think about TikTok and news,” she said.
Beyond simply building a younger audience, Latifi says that misinformation is an important reason journalists need to be on TikTok. In a time where it is easy for fake news to run rampant, she points out that is crucial for people to have reliable sources of news, no matter where they consume it.
5. Consistency is key
Given the impact of algorithms and virality, an important component is posting consistently on social media. According to Latifi, it is crucial to spend a lot of time on TikTok to get to know the platform and figure out which videos perform well.
As with other social platforms, posting consistently is essential to build a relationship with an audience and build a habit, where they are looking for the content on a regular basis. It is also critical to engage and learn from comments to cater to audience needs.
“People might think it’s a lot of effort and it is a lot of effort, but young people, we know from the data, are getting their news from places like TikTok, from places like Instagram,” she said.
Additionally, finding a niche or area of expertise can be beneficial. Latifi, for example, gets tagged in videos related to family vlogging because of her content about them, which receive thousands of views.
Ultimately, she says, it’s in the hands of legacy media to meet their audiences where they are. “We can grunt and groan about how the kids aren’t reading newspapers, or whatever. The important thing is that they do want to hear the news,” said Latifi.
See the big picture
News in this era is a delicate balance of finding new ways to attract audiences while also staying true to impartiality and delivering truthful, fact-based information. While social media connections are heavily reliant on authenticity and being personable, traditional journalists must simultaneously focus on maintaining professionalism and accuracy in their reporting.
Despite changes in news consumption habits, long-form content is still going strong, given its ability to tell in-depth, meaningful stories. But that doesn’t mean that short-form content shouldn’t be leveraged as a means of getting people there.
The 2025 DCN Next Summit kicked off in Miami April 22 with an energizing atmosphere as senior media executives from DCN’s member companies came together to discuss the biggest issues and opportunities impacting the future of media.
In his welcome, DCN CEO Jason Kint highlighted the challenging environment the media finds itself in. “Let’s be honest, the last 12 months have been volatile,” Kint said, “And the volatility isn’t just economic, it’s institutional. The forces testing our economy are also now testing our democratic norms, including a free and plural press itself. [We face] a direct challenge to the independence of the press and the principle that journalists, not governments, get to determine the language of truth.”
This, Kint said, is the new normal: accelerated pressure, relentless power grabs and heightened scrutiny all at once. “It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s redefining the rules that we all play by.”
In the midst of this, Kint highlighted premium content still matters but what defines it is changing. “Growth is harder, but it is possible, especially as you strengthen your direct relationships with your audience and customers. Trust… is everything. It’s foundational and it must be defended. And, in times of vulnerability is when you build on it.”
While the topics of discussion both on stage and off were wide-ranging, three significant themes emerged: the importance and evolution of trust, the value of direct audience relationships, and new influencer dynamics impacting media brands.
Trust in a fragmented world
In an era where audience attention is fragmented across numerous platforms, trust is the core value exchange between a media brand and its audience. Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, emphasized the importance of maintaining editorial independence and impartiality as essential components of trust.
Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR
She said, “Our editorial independence is paramount. People listen to NPR and they care about public media because they trust it and they know that it is independent. To my mind, if we cannot maintain that editorial integrity, we cannot serve our audiences the way we need to be served.”
This foundational trust faces new challenges. New research from DCN and Magid on Gen Z’s video consumption reveals a significant difference in trust levels between individual creators and brands, with individual creators generally being perceived as more trustworthy. The study, called “Decoding Video Content Engagement,” talked to 1,000 young people aged 13-40, to understand how they saw media brands. The results (available to DCN members) suggests that Gen Z’s understanding of what is trustworthy is evolving based on where they spend their time and energy.
“When you talk to Gen Z, it’s the individual that’s most valued. It’s the influencers, it’s the streamers,” Andrew Hare, SVP, head of quantitative research at Frank N. Magid Associates explained to attendees. Media companies face a significant challenge in building trust with Gen Z and Gen Y, and being seen as trustworthy, authentic and interesting, compared to individual creators, who are overwhelmingly trusted more by these generations.
Hare mentioned an opportunity for digital media companies to “collaborate and co-create with creators themselves to maybe even add some trust back to the brands.” He noted that digital media companies must focus on humanizing their brands, fostering direct relationships with audiences, and finding ways to be real and relatable while upholding their journalistic standards.
The evolving role of creators
Discussions at the summit frequently touched upon the evolving role of journalists in today’s media landscape and the rise of individual creators/influencers as a force in news. According to a November 2024 study by the Pew Research Center, 21% of U.S. adults now regularly get news from influencers. This figure rises to 37% among those under 30—an age group that is increasingly difficult for traditional outlets to reach.
Tiffany Sam Chow, SVP, strategy and business development at NBCU News
Tiffany Sam Chow, SVP, strategy and business development at NBCU News Group, pointed out that news anchors are becoming personalities on platforms like TikTok, which allows them to build individual connections with audiences. This shift changes the role of anchors from authoritative figures to relatable personalities, she explained.
Chow cites the example of Savannah Sellers on TikTok. “She does these behind the scenes where people can understand her as a person,” Chow explained. “People start following her on social as a person and then start following her on social as a news anchor.” As people engage with the on-air talent on a personal level, they begin following them as journalists, and in turn, engage with the NBC News and Today Show handles, Chow said.
Sam Felix, SVP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, at CNN echoed this shift. She noted CNN has also been thinking about how to drive that relationship between their on-air talent and audiences. “Part of our superpower is our ability to produce video at scale and this amazing talent. We have the right ingredients to engage with this audience. But we have to figure out (how) to pull back the curtain, get them sort of like closer, one-on-one, with this audience in a way that they seek us.”
In addition to their shows, CNN personalities produce multiple vertical videos per day, published on social channels and on CNN’s platform, Felix said. “Over the next several months, as you see the kind of next phase of CNN come out into the world, you’ll see that same type of production format be at the center of the content and our products, because it is resonating.”
MLB’s VP, Social Media and Innovation Cameron Gidari noted that some baseball creators are as popular, if not more so, than baseball players “kids are recognizing them!” Thus, their strategy involves empowering these creators. “We have a really robust crop of up and coming baseball creators,” Cameron. “They’re non-traditional media for a new age.”
MLB’s creator strategy involves helping empower creators, to help them grow, giving them access to events and sharing their content. “We went to help them grow because we know that they’re Baseball Tonight for the next generation, right?”
Building deeper connections with direct relationships
Publishers have long held direct relationships with audiences, built on trust and high-quality content. These relationships allow media companies to understand and anticipate audience needs. Strategic insights also inform monetization strategies like subscriptions, events and advertising.
In 2025, strengthening direct relationships with audiences has never been more critical. As media companies expand beyond traditional advertising into licensing and other D2C strategies, deepening audience connections is essential for sustainable growth.
Daniel Alegre, CEO, TelevisaUnivision
CEO Daniel Alegre credits his company’s success to TelevisaUnivision’s vast Spanish-language content catalog, built over 80 years, which helps nurture a direct, multi-platform relationship with audiences. TelevisaUnivision integrated its operations and created a single content strategy that serves linear TV in both the U.S. and Mexico and ViX, its streaming platform.
Alegre noted that the company continues to innovate in video content to engage new audiences. They are developing one-minute “micro telenovelas” specifically designed for mobile consumption. “These are essentially made for the phone, and can create new commercialization opportunities for subscription and advertising … We can also work on microtransactions,” he said.
At the Athletic, Publisher David Perpich explained that the company is exploring partnerships to leverage its content and audience, including a partnership with MGM which integrated betting coverage, and Stubhub which allowed users to purchase tickets within The Athletic’s content.
And in a move that is certain to be a fan favorite, MLB formed a “partnership with eBay where we have a collectibles vertical and you can buy on eBay,” he said. The focus of these initiatives is on “how do we create content that consumers would love but then let’s figure out the right business model on the other side to take advantage of it.”
Relationships are also changing between media companies, brands and advertisers, with a greater emphasis on direct relationships and mission alignment.
Shannon Watkins, CMO, Fiserv
Shannon Watkins, chief marketing officer at Fiserv, explained that Fiserv increasingly bypasses media agencies, instead partnering directly with media companies, viewing them as extensions of their own marketing team. This direct model allows Fiserv to keep strategy development in-house while collaborating with media partners to execute.
“It’s less about the dollars and cents and more about that symbiosis that you can have with your partner media or otherwise, where it is a true mission alignment because then the conversation moves beyond placements and dollars, but how can we grow together? And that’s what we’re looking for,” she said.
Persevering and pushing forward
As digital media companies grapple with the challenge of maintaining trust amid increased scrutiny and competition from more personalized, often more relatable creators, the importance of direct, authentic relationships with audiences has never been clearer. Media are learning to adapt to this shifting landscape, where collaboration with creators can help rebuild trust while still maintaining journalistic integrity.
Media companies must evolve to stay relevant. However, they must also safeguard the foundational values that have long underpinned their role in society, including press freedom. This Summit highlighted how they are persisting through challenges. As Kint pointed out, “We must keep pushing for fair value, for IP protection, for a level playing field, in equal competition. And above all we must defend the role of a free and plural press at a moment when institutions are being tested from every angle, even at the highest office in the land.”
Differences in international and generational media preferences inform evolving technology and industry patterns and continue to keep things interesting in 2025. Conventional media categories are becoming more fluid, inviting new opportunities. A new report by Nielsen Media Analytics, the 2025 Global Media Planning Guide, provides actionable insights.
Overall, an accelerating trend is the convergence of multiple platforms – from streaming services to social media. This presents significant challenges:
Adapting to current generational media preferences. Different age groups engage with media uniquely across various markets, calling for customized strategies.
Understanding international users’ media habits. Media trends and the pace of transition differ across countries, requiring flexible approaches.
Harmonizing traditional and digital media. It’s essential to allocate investments effectively across established and emerging platforms.
Streaming audiences vary internationally
According to Nielson’s data, traditional TV remains the dominant choice among older U.S. audiences and some countries outside of the U.S., while U.S. residents in general, and younger audiences around the world, are gravitating increasingly towards digital media. Connected TV (CTV) reach has steadily surpassed live and time-shifted TV reach over the past few years, but total use of the television has remained steady since the first quarter of 2022, demonstrating its resilience.
The specifics vary significantly across global markets, however. Take Poland versus the U.S., for example. In the U.S., CTV devices and streaming services have become the dominant viewing method. Whereas, in Poland, traditional TV remains the primary viewing platform. Only about 8% of total viewing time in Poland was spent on streaming in the first half of 2024, according to the Nielson data. In the U.S., streaming accounted for around 40% of TV viewership during the same period.
Americans spent about half of their TV viewership on broadcast and cable combined. In Poland, the combination of satellite and cable amounted to almost two-thirds of viewing time. U.S. audiences spent 38% of their time on streaming- significantly more than Polish viewers at 22%. The data emphasizes the need for flexible global media strategies, with traditional and digital platforms coexisting to meet diverse audience preferences.
Streaming audiences vary across generations
As younger audiences worldwide gravitate toward digital media, older generations retain their preference for traditional television. In the U.S., individuals aged 2-34 spend more than 60% of their TV viewing time on streaming platforms. Those ages 50-64 spent well over half of their time on broadcast and cable TV as opposed to streaming, while those 65+ spent fully 75% of their viewing time on broadcast and cable TV combined, and less than a quarter on streaming media.
In Thailand, a similar pattern prevails, with adults over 40 preferring TV to social media or video streaming platforms. Gen Z shows the lowest preference for traditional TV viewership of all age groups in Thailand (47%), favoring digital alternatives, whereas the 55+ demographic exhibits the highest linear TV viewership (62%), according to Nielson’s data.
However, it’s important to note that older viewers generally watch significantly more total TV compared to younger audiences. This holds true in the U.S. as well as Thailand, where all types of media have a greater reach among older audiences. According to a recent Deloitte report, Boomers spent an average of 3.5 hours per day watching TV shows and movies on streaming video services, cable, or live-streaming TV, while Gen Z audiences spent about 2.1 hours per day on those activities.
This dynamic has implications not only for how content is consumed but also how it is created, delivered, and marketed. As digital natives grow up, they are driving a new era of on-demand streaming, mobile media consumption, and personalized content algorithms. Meanwhile, the media industry must continue to accommodate older people, who remain loyal to traditional formats and are often heavy consumers of media. For example, older generations are more likely to keep their cable or satellite TV subscriptions long-term, while Generation Z and millennial cable subscribers are more than twice as likely to indicate that they plan to terminate their subscriptions within the year, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends report.
Why some audiences still prefer linear TV
Linear TV retains some advantages in addition to the loyalty of older and international audiences, as pointed out by Vijya Amirtham on VPlayed. It is conducive to live events, such as sports, games, and award shows, which have massive appeal to large audiences. Linear TV also enables targeting by advertisers based on channel, genre, and airtime. Viewers tend to find TV ads more credible, especially on trusted channels, and are conditioned to expect ads when watching linear TV. Amirtham also asserts linear TV audiences “are predominantly associated with affluent groups.”
Boundaries between traditional TV and digital media are blurring with the evolution of Cloud TV and Over-the-Top-Television (OTT)- traditional TV content such as series and movies watched over the internet. These technologies are enticing viewers by combining the benefits of linear TV and more fluid digital mediums that offer on-demand viewing and are sometimes free of traditional ads. Amirtham recommends developing a linear TV app as one method for media leaders to expand and enhance audience engagement.
Maintaining and growing audiences
As DCN previously reported, younger generations are gravitating towards streaming services and social platforms and away from traditional TV. However, while media companies keep a keen eye on Gen Z trend-shapers, it is also wise to accommodate mature and international audiences, who are loyal and heavy consumers of traditional media formats.
For media leaders, it’s still too soon to abandon linear—if the goal is to reach the widest audience possible. Instead, deliver integrated solutions that merge linear TV and streaming assets, while working to enhance cross-platform integration. Effective strategies across age groups, international markets, and media platforms will depend on accurate measurement, outreach, and partnerships. The growing convergence of platforms invites opportunities to cultivate deeper connections with viewers around the world.
Streaming video has become a daily habit for today’s consumers, with 2024 being something of a landmark year for the industry. Worldwide, audiences flocked to streaming platforms in unprecedented numbers to watch their favorite content and sporting action like the Olympics, Euro 2024, the World Series, the WNBA, and high-profile boxing matches.
Alongside technological advancements, CTV has established itself as the primary platform for premium viewing experiences, which has increased the popularity of live streaming for major events. This presents lucrative opportunities for media owners aiming to succeed in their ad-supported streaming ventures.
The latest FreeWheel research offers insights into these industry dynamics, exploring ad viewership trends across the premium video streaming ecosystem in European countries* and the U.S. for the second half of 2024. In this article, we’ll dig deeper into the findings to uncover how these trends impact media stakeholders and how they can make the most of streaming’s developments.
Scaling live opportunities with CTV
The continued adoption of connected television is driving strong streaming viewership, including live programming. NBCUniversal’s exclusive U.S .coverage of the Paris Olympics, for instance, saw an 82% increase in viewership across multiscreen TV compared to the Tokyo 2020 Games, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage in Europe grew by four times. The WNBA 2024 season was the most streamed in Paramount+ history. And Netflix’s exclusive live stream of the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson in November 2024 attracted 108 million global viewers.
It’s easy to see why live programming is also transitioning to streaming platforms. Live streaming can meet modern-day viewers’ desire for immediacy, convenience, and universally engaging experiences. Live streaming also expands traditional TV’s engagement potential to audiences with diverse needs and unique preferences.
In many cases, these needs involve watching live programming from the comfort of their own homes and simultaneously being able to enjoy social experiences with family and friends. CTV devices now account for 77% of premium video ad views for live programming in Europe, demonstrating how CTV has evolved into a class of its own, capable of delivering both high-quality viewer experiences and results for content distributors.
Our data also shows that while still relatively small, programmatic transactions are growing strongly, with 37% in the US and 40% in Europe. This type of transaction will continue to expand as rising investment in programmatic is opening up new inventory opportunities.
Harnessing VOD’s flexibility
FreeWheel’s research shows that in the US, the majority of ad views (57%) were on live content, with the remaining 43% on VOD. In Europe, however, VOD captured the majority of ad exposure, 76%, compared to 26% of live programming.
This preference for VOD in Europe can be partly explained by the historical presence of free public service broadcasters (PSBs) and the prevalence of operator authentication in the region. In the U.S., the tendency is towards OTT distribution, which accounts for 65% of ad-supported content that is consumed.
Publishers are harnessing the flexibility of on-demand to further monetize their video inventory. And while VOD offers various monetization models, including subscription-based access (SVOD), pay-per-view (TVOD), and advertising-based access (AVOD), it’s the latter category where we’re seeing impressive growth. verall ad viewership on streaming platforms in the second half of 2024 was up by 24% year-on-year in Europe compared to 10% in the US.
Going beyond with interactivity
Our report also identifies interactivity as a potential growth area. The digital nature of streaming and CTV means they are primed for interactive viewer experiences that media owners and advertisers can utilize to boost engagement. The use of ad formats such as QR codes, clickable ads, and trivia quizzes are becoming more common to drive engagement at all stages of the marketing funnel.
Beyond helping brands to make more meaningful connections with consumers, interactive ads present an opportunity for media owners to capture deeper insights on how audiences interact with content and the ads. This offers a better understanding of which formats and approaches work – and which don’t.
Video, by its very nature, is never static. But these latest innovations are ushering in a new, golden age of video. CTV in combination with interactivity creates the ideal conditions to deliver a new genre of ads that can flow with the content to enhance viewer engagement and enjoyment. Harnessing streaming’s next phase of evolution will be critical to ensure content providers, advertisers and their agencies keep innovating and delivering new exciting experiences for the viewers.
*The data set used for the FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report H2 2024is one of the largest available on the usage and monetization of professional, rights-managed ad-supported video content worldwide and is based on aggregated advertising data collected through the FreeWheel platform. The European countries included are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
While we’ve seen shifts in consumer behavior over the past few years, they are now happening at an accelerated pace, which impacts those in the media and video entertainment sectors. Younger consumers, in particular, are moving away from traditional pay TV subscriptions in favor of streaming services, social platforms, and gaming. The rise of short-form, algorithm-driven videos offers an endless supply of free content that keeps users engaged for hours. These platforms excel in curating and promoting personalized experiences through AI and recommendation algorithms.
Thus, it won’t come as a big surprise that social platforms now account for more than half of U.S. ad spending, which positions them as major competitors to traditional media outlets. According to Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends 2025 Report, social platforms have become the new center of gravity in media, capturing both consumer attention and advertising dollars.
The report highlights that younger generations, especially Gen Z and millennials, are likely to cancel their cable subscriptions, citing high costs and frustration with the volume of ads. With cable bills averaging $125 per month, the appeal of traditional TV services is fading. For younger viewers, free content on social media and affordable, ad-supported streaming services provides a more cost-effective alternative to pricey cable packages.
As a result, pay TV subscriptions are declining steadily, dropping from 63% to 49% of U.S. households over the past three years. SVOD services now offer a wider range of options, including live sports, which once was a driving force for much of the pay TV market. Additionally, many users turn to social media for news and sports highlights, further eroding the traditional TV audience. consumer media habits include
Advertising landscape
With advanced ad tech and data analytics, social platforms dominate the global ad market. Deloitte’s research shows that ads on social media are more likely to influence Gen Z and millennials than ads on traditional TV or streaming services. The younger generations appreciate the relevancy and personalization of social media advertising. By comparison, ads on traditional media feel more intrusive and less targeted, which diminishes their effectiveness.
For traditional media companies, these trends present a significant challenge. Studios and streaming services increasingly turn to ad-supported subscription tiers to lower costs and attract a wider audience. However, these services still face an uphill battle in attracting advertisers away from the social platforms that dominate the digital ad space. The advertising capabilities of social platforms are advanced, as they leverage sophisticated algorithms and AI to target specific audience segments with highly relevant ads.
Streaming services
While streaming video services offer consumers a wealth of content, they have their own set of challenges. Rising subscription costs are creating dissatisfaction among users. The research shows that 41% of consumers feel that the content available on SVOD services is no longer worth their price. This is particularly evident as streaming costs rise—on average, SVOD subscribers pay $69 per month, a 13% increase from the previous year. Many consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials, cancel services and jump from one streaming provider to the next in search of better value.
Moreover, the advertising-supported tiers of SVOD services have become a crucial part of many companies’ strategies to lower subscription costs while generating revenue. However, this model comes with trade-offs. While 54% of SVOD users say they subscribe to at least one ad-supported service, many express frustrations with the volume of ads. To compete, media companies must find a price point that works for consumers while balancing the needs of advertisers and content creators.
Content creator connection
Content creators have become a central force in the media landscape. Social platforms offer a new generation of influencers whose content drives engagement and shapes consumer behavior. For younger generations, creators are now as influential as traditional TV stars and movie actors. In fact, many consumers report feeling a stronger personal connection to their favorite creators than to the personalities they see on traditional TV. This trend is fueling the growth of social media platforms as major entertainment hubs.
This shift represents an opportunity to tap into the growing creator economy. By leveraging social media, media brands can engage audiences in new ways and tap into the influence and authenticity that creators bring to the table.
As social platforms and content creators continue to dominate the entertainment landscape, traditional media companies must reevaluate their content strategies and business models. The merging of social platforms, creators, and on-demand services is reshaping the media’s core. Media companies will need to adapt to the changing demands of consumers, who now expect more from their entertainment experiences.
Gen Z is rewriting the digital playbook, setting new standards for content discovery, engagement, and consumption. This generation is social-first, always on, and hyper-connected, and the details are outlined in Gen Z Culture Decoded, a new research report that I co-led with Mary Ann Halford of Halford Media Advisory.
Our study revealed that 71% of Gen Z consumers turn to social platforms and YouTube as their primary discovery hubs. This deeply impacts their entertainment choices across TV shows, sports, podcasts, and more.
At a time when capturing attention and loyalty is more complex than ever, Mary Ann and I designed this study hoping to understand Gen Z better ourselves and to provide a roadmap for brands, creators, and advertisers looking to connect with this influential demographic. We surveyed 2,000 U.S.-based Gen Z respondents (ages 16-27) in a study conducted by Toluna in December 2024 and January 2025, with key input from QuickPlay and Swerve Sports executives.
Key takeaways from Gen Z Culture Decoded
Social media dominates: At least 74% of Gen Z consumers engage with social media at any time of day.
Hyper-connectivity defines behavior: On average, Gen Z participates in seven different digital activities daily, with the number rising to eight in the early evening.
Viewing habits shift throughout the day:
Video consumption increases steadily, peaking in the evening.
Sports and gaming peak in the evening.
Music, audiobooks, and podcasts see higher engagement in the afternoon and evening.
Radio and news updates are most popular in the morning.
Comedy is king: Across entertainment platforms, comedy emerges as the #1 genre, influencing both content creation and advertising.
Short-form and vertical video formats are ascendant:
81% of Gen Z video viewers said they watch videos in vertical format weekly.
79% of Gen Z users indicated that a “shorts” feature would increase their engagement with a streaming service.
What this means for the future of digital engagement
We found that, for marketers, advertisers, and media strategists, winning Gen Z’s attention requires a multi-platform, video-driven, and socially integrated approach.
Our research points to opportunities for media companies to engage audiences on their own platforms with formats adapted from social platform norms, such as vertical video and short-form video with text on screen. The platforms of these media companies – from Hulu to Peacock to Netflix – currently primarily focus on long-form and horizontal video.
Our partners weigh in
Gen Z Culture Decoded aimed to provide a roadmap for connection and relevance. We and our research partners knew that Gen Z habits and preferences would differ from older generations. It is clear that breaking through to this savvy and surprising generation will require unprecedented levels of agility and investment in new skills and tools.
Halford said the research shows a clear pathway for streamers to reclaim engagement lost to social platforms: “While social media and YouTube are the starting points for Gen Z content discovery, their consumption patterns are complex and sometimes surprising. The demand for integrated short-form content experiences is undeniable.”
Quickplay Co-Founder and CBO Paul Pastor said it confirmed what he has seen among the Gen Z demographic: “Gen Z demands short-form, engaging content across all platforms, and it’s where and how they discover new content. They are a hyper-connected generation that expects content to be readily available, personalized, and easily digestible.”
Understanding how Gen Z’s attitudes and behaviours differ from other generations is essential, said Jasen Holness, EVP Commercial Strategy, Toluna. “This research provides a practical blueprint.”
A deep dive into Gen Z’s digital universe
Gen Z Culture Decodedcovered over 60 key questions, exploring topics such as: content discovery, YouTube consumption trends, news consumption, advertising preferences and more. We explored how Gen Z is reshaping media engagement and connection by examining cultural interests, habits, and preferences, looking for deeper understanding of what meaningful interactions look like.
We all know that Gen Z has a digital first mindset. However, they consume content differently than other digital first audience groups, and it is critical to understand how these different consumption habits impact brand perception, trust and loyalty. With the insights from this study, we hope to enable media leaders, brands and advertisers to better find Gen Z and to satisfy their expectations now and as they grow into adulthood.
The transition away from traditional pay-TV is accelerating. In fact, traditional TV no longer dominates the video subscription market. By 2028, traditional pay TV’s share of video subscription revenues will decrease to just one-third. Meanwhile, digital pay-TV services, also known as virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs), will increase their share from 13.2% in 2025 to 15.4% by 2028. These services, including YouTube TV, Fubo, and Sling TV, deliver linear TV content over the Internet, making them appeal to consumers seeking flexibility and lower costs than traditional pay TV.
Emarketer’s Digital Video and Trends report for Q1 2025 shows that streaming services are poised to achieve even greater growth, increasing their share of video subscription revenues by about eight percentage points by 2028. Notably, YouTube has become a significant player in the subscription business. While YouTube remains known for its free, ad-supported platform, its YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services collectively boast over 100 million subscribers. YouTube TV, which claimed 8 million U.S. subscribers in 2024, is also contributing significantly to the growth of digital pay TV.
Rising costs and consumer behavior
Although subscription revenues still dominate the streaming sector, rising prices are reshaping consumer behavior. In recent years, both traditional pay-TV and streaming services have raised prices, driven by inflation. However, streaming services have increased prices at a faster rate over the past two years, surpassing the cost growth of traditional pay TV. This price disparity has triggered consumer pushback, especially as streaming services introduce price hikes and clamp down on password sharing.
Streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ employ strategies to boost profitability, including raising subscription costs and limiting account sharing. These actions, along with content cuts, have led to some consumer dissatisfaction. Despite these challenges, streaming services remain profitable on paper.
Among the streaming platforms, Hulu and Disney+ have made some of the largest price increases for their ad-free plans. While Apple TV+ stays relatively affordable, its library lags behind competitors. All the while, it has doubled its subscription price since launch.
Live sports drives subscription growth
Streaming services are capitalizing on the growing demand for live sports, which increasingly draws subscribers away from traditional TV. Major streaming platforms, such as NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Amazon Prime Video, continue to invest heavily in sports rights. This is further shifting the sports broadcasting landscape from traditional TV to streaming platforms. By 2027, digital sports viewership will surpass traditional TV viewership by 52 million viewers, signaling the ongoing transition in how consumers watch live sports.
YouTube TV’s growth and the digital pay-TV market
YouTube TV is seeing significant success among the growing digital pay-TV services. As traditional pay-TV continues to shed subscribers, YouTube TV is adding them at a steady pace. By 2026, it will become the largest pay-TV operator in the United States. Although YouTube TV is not yet profitable, it is an important player in the broader digital pay-TV market, now accounting for about one-fifth of total pay-TV subscription revenues.
The digital pay-TV market is also experiencing consolidation. In January 2025, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo TV announced a merger. Disney will hold a 70% stake in the new venture, with Fubo’s leadership overseeing operations. Although Hulu + Live TV and Fubo will remain separate offerings, this consolidation may lead to further streamlining of the digital pay-TV space.
Shifting streaming revenue streams: subscription vs. advertising
While subscriptions still represent the majority of revenue for streaming services, advertising is growing in importance. From 2023 to 2027, advertising’s share of total streaming revenues will increase by nearly four percentage points. This rise in ad spending reflects the growing significance of connected TV (CTV) platforms, a critical avenue for advertisers looking to reach consumers on streaming services.
In fact, CTV ad spending may exceed 15.8% year-over-year growth in 2025, outpacing the 10.6% growth forecast for U.S. streaming subscription revenues during the same period. However, both advertising and subscription revenues in traditional TV are in decline, though price increases for subscriptions help slow the rate of decline.
While this Emarketer report focuses on the U.S. market, it’s important to note that streaming services are also seeing significant growth worldwide. As of Q2 2024, nearly 60% of Netflix’s revenues come from outside of North America. While prices are lower in regions like Asia and South America than North America and Europe, the global growth potential for streaming services remains immense. Countries across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific are seeing high levels of subscription penetration, with streaming services continuing to expand their reach internationally.
The video subscription landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Traditional TV’s dominance is slipping as streaming services and digital pay-TV providers continue to capture an increasing market share. For media executives, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities.
Subscription revenue remains the primary source of growth for streaming services. Rising costs and consumer demand for more flexible, lower-cost options continue to shape the industry. At the same time, the increasing importance of advertising revenue, coupled with the global expansion of streaming platforms, offers new avenues for monetization. Staying ahead of these trends and adapting to the evolving market dynamics is key to maintaining a competitive edge in this rapidly changing ecosystem.
England Women’s National Team soccer player Lucy Bronze is sitting in an armchair, in front of the camera, being interviewed for the BBC by her former teammate turned TV presenter Alex Scott. She explains that she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD four years ago and outlines how the conditions have impacted her hugely successful career.
It’s a significant conversation, but it didn’t go straight to a BBC channel. Instead, the final six-minute edit appeared on the BBC iPlayer last week and then YouTube. It was a perfect demonstration of an increasingly popular and important video format – and length.
Standing out from the video crowd
Videos that are a few, even 15, minutes long might not seem on trend in our scroll-happy world. However, in genres such as news and explainers this content length has proved to be powerful and increasingly popular.
There is an overwhelming amount of video available now and certain formats and lengths of duration are starting to stand out. Most noticeable are very long podcast episodes (think three-hour Joe Rogan episodes) and tightly edited, punchy social media clips lasting 60 to 90 seconds.
However, structured, often scripted, work lasting in the region of six to 15 minutes, is becoming a crucial part of some publishers’ strategies. Adam Tinworth, a lecturer at City St George’s in London and a commentator on audience strategy, said that “seven to 15 minutes is a kind of nice slot,” because publishers can “get a decent amount of depth without boring people.”
One outlet that produces this kind of content as part of a wide range of output is The News Movement. It publishes an eight-to-15-minute video on YouTube each month. Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Hutson told Digital Content Next that the work is “a kind of reinvented or slightly deconstructed documentary”. She explained that her team strips out b-roll and lots of the other quirks we are accustomed to seeing on television because “it just doesn’t quite suit the medium”. The objective is to balance pace as well as depth. “The sequences are tight,” said Hutson.
Again, YouTube is the destination. Quite simply, the media companies want to go where they already know there is an audience, instead of trying to drag them to their own website.
“All our content appears quite differently on different platforms,” Hutson added, and this impacts the kind of work published there. “On Instagram, it’s a little bit more of a kind of leaning in experience, people are in a slightly different headspace…that content is appearing next to people’s friends and family.”
It’s a point Tinworth echoes. He noted that TikTok is “not an environment where people are hunting for news-based stuff. They will encounter it, and they might consume it, but it’s not where they’re looking for it.”
Longer, perhaps more serious videos are viewed in a whole different context. Videos of longer lengths will be much more palatable on somewhere like YouTube. Viewers are increasingly comfortable with longer formats as they watch more YouTube on big TVs. Data from Tubular Labs published in July 2024 found that the number of videos over 20 minutes long being uploaded to YouTube each month rose from 1.3 million in July 2022 to 8.5 million in June 2024.
Specialist shows optimized for video length
Indeed, there are companies that are built around making highly produced videos in the six-to-15-minute-length sweet spot. Complexly, for instance make a range of shows, including science education content for children. Underknown also do this kind of work. (I particularly enjoyed learning what would happen if I fell into Jupiter as part of their “What If” series”.)
Explainers, in which a specific topic is unpacked in depth, work well “because those videos have an inherent longer life,” said Tinworth. “You can build up this sort of body of explainer videos, which then drive traffic over long periods of time.”
Complexly is, at least in part, supported by Patreon. However, in general monetization of this kind of content seems to be based on the familiar pillars of advertising and brand sponsorships, sticking with the consensus where it is published.
Traditional broadcasters are experimenting with this format too. In addition to the Lucy Bronze interview, the BBC has previously created Ranked, a game show where groups compete for cash by guessing the correct ranking of things related to their shared passion or profession. It went out on both YouTube and the iPlayer CNN has created the more documentary-style Great Big Story on YouTube too. Nigel Dacre, a former editor of ITV news who now works as a media and digital executive said:
“In TV News, there’s an ongoing debate about how much TV news organizations should cut up their normal TV programs into short form reports. It’s not just for social media (which they all do), but also for their new streaming apps. ITV News really focuses on short form videos on ITVX, for example… a lot more than BBC News does on the iPlayer.”
Keeping control of your work
Giving work over to third parties who have… changeable… algorithmic and monetization criteria is something Jane Ferguson is trying to push back against. The eminent former foreign correspondent spent much of her career at PBS and has now founded Noospere, a subscription-based service that lets journalists own their own work instead of giving it to giant tech platforms. Think of it as a mix between Substack and a social media feed.
Yes, it’s another platform but “we’ve taken control of the distribution and put it in the hands of the journalists so effectively, you know, disintermediating the news business,” Ferguson explained.
Furthermore, “many of our colleagues and our contributors come from a Vice background where they really leaned into longer form filmmaking, but also that magazine length. I think that many field reporters have felt has been something that audiences, for years, have responded so well to. They want these more substantive pieces, but they don’t want to give you 45 minutes of their day,” said the Noosphere boss.
Ferguson also refutes the idea that not posting on giant tech platforms means you’re not going where consumers are. “We’ve gone to where the eyeballs are by going on our phones app first,” she said. For her, the hardware platform seemingly matters more than the software one.
As media executives strive to engage younger audiences, finding the sweet spot for digital video will be critical. Certainly, it’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Like the vast breadth of content that appeals to people, different lengths will suit different individuals.
As ever with creative work, this as much an art to finding the right length for video as there is a science. Testing with your audience will always be crucial. However, the success of companies like Complexly and Underknown, and the successful individual pieces of content like the Lucy Bronze interview demonstrates that seven to 15-minute-long videos are a powerful way to get in-depth information to viewers in an accessible format, particularly in the news and explainer genres.
Sports and sports media outside of the major leagues often are labeled as “niche.” But that term is quickly becoming obsolete. Easy and inexpensive AI tools are changing the game. They create new sports media and marketing opportunities for free streaming and social-first athlete-creators, regardless of traditional audience bases and reach.
How is AI accelerating this transformation? It’s helping underrepresented sports and athlete-creators identify and capture new fans, super fans, and monetization opportunities. With smarter data analysis and faster content distribution, sports once considered “niche” have a chance to grow their media audiences and revenues in many ways.
How AI Is expanding the reach of sports
AI is widely used in sports media but it’s not just for the majors. AI presents opportunities for targeted streamers and independent creators. Here’s how leaders are using it to grow:
1. Identify and engage new fanbases
AI is helping sports organizations analyze viewership patterns, social media engagement, and fan demographics to uncover potential new audiences. By leveraging machine learning, teams and leagues can:
Identify super fans: Find those most engaged and willing to spend on tickets, merchandise, and streaming subscriptions.
Uncover new fan segments: AI can pinpoint audiences with similar behaviors and interests, even if they haven’t engaged with the sport yet.
Optimize monetization strategies: AI-driven insights help organizations determine the best ways to engage and convert fans through advertising, merchandise, and licensing opportunities.
2. Speed up content distribution
The way fans – particularly Gen Z fans – consume sports content has changed. Short-form videos, highlights, and real-time updates dominate engagement, and AI is making it easier to deliver this content faster than ever. AI-powered tools now handle:
Video ingestion and indexing: AI quickly processes and categorizes game footage for highlights.
Automated captioning and headlines: AI helps create more engaging, searchable content.
Smart clip generation: AI identifies the best in-game moments and instantly produces highlight reels.
This reduces production time and costs, allowing sports organizations to share media with fans faster and at scale.
3. Break language barriers and expanding globally
AI-powered translation tools are making sports media more accessible and global. Now, leagues and teams can automatically translate commentary, subtitles, and captions into multiple languages, opening doors to international markets and audiences.
More inclusive media: AI-driven translations provide accessibility for fans who speak different languages or have hearing impairments.
Stronger international engagement: With real-time translations, sports can reach new audiences without the need for costly localization efforts.
Athlete-creators: the new hybrid skill set
From NIL-driven revenue opportunities to the dominance of the Paul brothers, athlete-creators are increasingly leveraging AI. Are we looking at a future of sports in which the highest-performing athletes are not the best-known athlete-creators and vice versa? Yes, it may be challenging for some athletes without the resources or a team of assistants to fully realize their earning potential. However, AI may help level the playing field for athlete-creators. Here are some ways athlete-creators are using AI:
Content creation and editing: AI tools can simplify design and enable quick creation of engaging content without professional design expertise.
Social media engagement: AI analysis of social media trends and audience preferences can be used for targeted creation strategies.
Streamlining distribution: Automation of delivery can make it easier for athletes to focus on training and performance while staying engaged with fans and optimizing revenue opportunities.
Ascendant sports: the next stage of AI-driven growth potential
For an underrepresented sport looking for media expansion potential, new AI tools can help with assessing and answering some key questions:
Does it have a strong but underserved fanbase? If finding free, high-quality broadcasts is a challenge, it’s now much easier to explore serving a fanbase via free streaming options, from FAST to YouTube to other live social short-form distribution outlets.
Does it need better production and distribution? AI-enhanced production – from graphics to real-time statistical analysis – can help sports that have previously not been considered TV-friendly, making them more exciting to watch and easier to follow on digital platforms.
Are there marketers looking to align with its fanbase? Using AI-enabled analysis of data, it’s easier to identify cost-effective and targeted opportunities to connect with sports fans.
With the right application of AI and streaming strategies, ascendant sports can dramatically expand their audience and become stronger players in the sports content ecosystem.
The future: AI will define the next era of sports growth
The sports industry is at an inflection point. The traditional “big vs. small” sports hierarchy is being disrupted by technology, streaming, and AI-driven content strategies. Many sports, regardless of their historical followings, now have the opportunity to thrive and expand their reach.
