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The TV schedule is back. Here’s why media executives should care

Once, TV schedules shaped daily life. Thursday nights were sacred, saved for Friends and ER, and fall premieres were as anticipated as the holidays. Then streaming platforms shattered these habits, replacing them with on-demand, binge-anytime freedom.

But something unexpected is happening. Weekly episode drops are back, seasonal viewing habits are reemerging, and the TV screen is fighting to reclaim its dominance. For media and advertising executives, this hybrid model—combining the best of TV’s past with streaming innovations—presents a new frontier. Is the traditional TV schedule truly gone, or has it just evolved?

When TV schedules ruled the day

In TV’s heyday, schedules and dayparts dictated how and when audiences consumed content. Mornings belonged to breakfast shows like Good Morning America, where weather forecasts and lifestyle tips mixed with ads for cereal and cleaning products. Afternoons catered to homemakers and retirees with soap operas and talk shows, drawing advertisers of household goods and pharmaceuticals.

Then came primetime, the crown jewel of TV’s dayparts. Millions tuned in to comedies, dramas, or blockbuster specials, and advertisers paid a premium for coveted slots during hits like Seinfeld or Lost.

Seasonality was just as critical. Fall premieres built anticipation for new storylines, while sweeps months like November and February featured high-stakes episodes designed to maximize ratings. Even summer, once a wasteland for reruns, became a testing ground for reality hits like Survivor. TV schedules weren’t just a habit; they were a cultural cornerstone.

The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ upended TV’s structure. Viewers no longer waited for Thursday nights; they binged entire seasons in a weekend. According to Netflix, 80% of subscribers watch full seasons within a week of release. The communal “watercooler moment” migrated to TikTok and YouTube, where memes and clips went viral.

Advertisers quickly adapted to streaming’s vast data capabilities. Ads became hyper-targeted, evolving with viewers’ life stages and even their locations. Forget what city you’re in? The ads during your morning news update will remind you.

Streaming ushered in a world of “everything, everywhere, all at once,” breaking the rigidity of TV schedules. But that same freedom introduced new challenges, including fragmented audiences and oversaturation.

The unlikely comeback of scheduling

Despite streaming’s dominance, old habits are making a comeback and it is important that media executives understand the impact of these shifts. Shows like Gilmore Girls see a spike in Netflix views each fall, aligning with seasonal moods. And what topped the streaming charts over Christmas this year? That’s right, Christmas movies – and not even good ones.

Viewers also continue to consume different types of content at distinct times of the day, on different devices – family and kids content peak on TV screens in the evening while teen dramas are primarily watched on smartphones, according to a digital-i study. Even YouTube is seeing a shift: 45% of its viewership now happens on TV screens in 2023, up from less than 30% in 2020.

This resurgence of structure has led streaming platforms to revisit old strategies. Weekly episodic releases, once dismissed as outdated, are now commonplace. According to Parrot Analytics, 75 of the 100 most in-demand U.S. series in early 2023 were released weekly, compared to just nine that dropped entire seasons at once.

The return of live and appointment viewing is another striking trend. Sports have proven that gathering audiences in real time still holds value. Netflix’s NFL Christmas games in 2024 broke records, drawing over 24 million viewers per game. Amazon’s Thursday Night Football also highlighted how live events can drive engagement, reigniting the idea that shared viewing moments still matter.

For streaming platforms, these events are a way to mimic the communal experiences traditional TV excelled at, while keeping viewers engaged over time.

The bottom line

In today’s hybrid era, in which consumers are looking for the best of TV and streaming, there are some traditional tactics that have matured and taken on renewed relevance.

  1. Seasonality still drives success
    Certain times of the year lend themselves to specific types of content. Cosy dramas in fall or feel-good reality TV in summer can capitalize on seasonal preferences and stand out in crowded markets.
  2. Dayparts have evolved, not disappeared
    Audiences still follow daily rhythms, though across different platforms. Media companies can “own” these moments by tailoring content for devices and time slots—morning news on phones, evening dramas on TV.
  3. Weekly drops build community
    The return of episodic releases shows that viewers value anticipation and shared experiences. For media companies, weekly drops can foster loyalty and extend audience engagement over longer periods.
  4. Ad models must adapt
    Balancing subscriptions with ad-supported content is key. Live events and structured schedules open doors for innovative ad formats, from programmatic spots to integrated sponsorships.
  5. Streaming is maturing
    With increased competition, streaming platforms must focus on differentiation. Exclusive content, curated schedules, and live programming can help platforms stand out in a crowded field.

The hybrid era of TV and streaming has arrived. It’s no longer about choosing one over the other but about blending the best of both worlds. For media executives, success lies in agility—meeting audiences where they are while still offering the shared experiences they didn’t know they missed. TV’s golden age isn’t over; it’s just been reinvented.

About the author

Claire Tavernier is a senior media and digital advisor based in the UK, and the co-host of media business podcast The Media Beat. She is the Chair of the Film and TV Charity and Charity Digital and an advisor to Unbound Publishing and The Reykjavik Global Forum.

Advertising | Industry-Research

How a TikTok ban could reshape ad spending

Social media and digital advertising dynamics are once again at a critical juncture. On January 19th, TikTok resumed service in the United States after a brief disruption, much to the relief of its 115 million U.S. users. President Donald Trump’s executive order to delay banning the app for 75 days allows TikTok to seek a U.S. partner to address security concerns. However, TikTok’s future uncertainty is shaking up the digital ecosystem as major platforms and advertisers prepare for potential disruptions.

Sensor Tower’s latest data paints a vivid picture of TikTok’s role in the U.S. media and advertising market. The platform drives 88 million daily hours of consumer engagement, generates approximately $2 billion in annual consumer spending, and commands an 8% share of the digital advertising market. Should TikTok face another ban, competitors like Meta and Alphabet, alternatives like Snapchat, and emerging platforms are all poised to capitalize.

Consumer engagement: the TikTok effect

TikTok’s popularity has reshaped how users consume short-form videos. However, its dominance in engagement reveals a troubling trend. Overall time spent on short-form video apps dropped by 4% year-over-year in 2024, with TikTok’s U.S. engagement declining by 12% in Q4.

Despite this decline, TikTok’s success has forced competitors to innovate aggressively. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube ramp up their short-form video offerings with features such as Reels and Shorts. In Q4 2024, users spent 54 million hours daily on YouTube Shorts, 28 million on Instagram Reels, and 26 million on Facebook Reels. Notably, Facebook Reels experienced the most robust growth, with engagement rising 87% year-over-year. Instagram (+18%) and YouTube (+7%) would follow.

Snapchat, too, is stepping up its game. The rollout of its “Simple Snapchat” interface aims to streamline access to Spotlight, its short-form video feature. This move positions the platform to attract a larger share of TikTok’s audience in the event of a ban.

Advertising dollars at stake

In 2024, Tiktok platform held an 8% share of U.S. digital ad spend, with Walmart, Google, and Amazon ranking among its top advertisers. If TikTok exits the U.S. market, Sensor Tower projects that platforms like Meta and YouTube will inherit significant portions of its ad revenue. Specifically, Meta is expected to gain four percentagepoints of TikTok’s ad spend share, split between Instagram (three percentage points) and Facebook (one percentagepoint). YouTube and Snapchat are likely to gain two percentage points.

This shift would reinforce Facebook’s position as the U.S. social media ad spend leader and enable it to command a 35% share by Q4 2025, followed by Instagram (30%) and YouTube (19%). Meanwhile, Snapchat’s share could rise to 6%, with smaller platforms like Pinterest and Reddit collectively accounting for less than 5%.

In-app purchases offer lucrative opportunities

TikTok’s innovative monetization strategies have set a high bar for competitors. Since its launch, U.S. users spend over $4 billion on TikTok Coins, an in-app currency for tipping creators and promoting videos. In 2024, TikTok’s $1.7 billion in U.S. in-app revenue outpaces Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat combined.

If TikTok exits the U.S. market, its competitors will inherit a significant portion of this revenue stream. Sensor Tower predicts that Instagram’s in-app revenue could surge by 790% year-over-year in Q4 2025, more than double the growth rate of its peers. YouTube, however, would maintain its leadership, with projected in-app revenue of $442 million in Q4 2025, roughly double that of Instagram and Facebook.

Lessons from India’s TikTok ban

India’s 2020 TikTok ban provides valuable insights into what might happen in the US. Before its ban, TikTok was India’s largest short-form video platform, boasting 169 million monthly active users and a significant share of app engagement. After the ban, platforms like Instagram and YouTube surged in downloads and engagement, while local players such as Moj and Josh quickly gained traction.

Sensor Tower estimates that Instagram and YouTube could see similar growth in the US, with their engagement hours rising by 40% and 12% year-over-year, respectively, in Q4 2025. Snapchat growth may lead the pack with an 89% increase in daily engagement hours, driven by its Spotlight feature and streamlined interface.

Challenges and opportunities

The media industry, particularly those in the social and short form video space, cannot ignore TikTok’s vast influence on consumer behavior, advertising, and monetization. Competitors are already responding by enhancing short-form video features and exploring new monetization strategies. Platforms that successfully replicate TikTok’s creator-driven ecosystem—complete with seamless in-app payment systems for tipping and promotions—will likely capture the lion’s share of user engagement and revenue.

With billions of dollars in ad spend and consumer engagement at stake, media companies and advertisers will closely monitor how this story unfolds. Whether TikTok stays in the U.S. market or not, its success—and potential absence—continues to shape the future of social media and digital advertising.

Featured Post | Perspectives

Attracting audiences to political news

Covering the actions of state legislatures has long been viewed as the journalistic equivalent of forcing people to eat broccoli. Such political news may be part of a citizen’s “healthy” diet, helping them stay involved in the democratic process. However, it has long been assumed that most people find such offerings unappealing.

But what if this perspective is wrong? What if audiences are not intrinsically disinterested in state government reporting and might respond favorably to editorial efforts that make this coverage relevant to people’s lives?

That’s the theory held by a series of new digital ventures that have placed coverage of state politics at the center of their editorial missions. While they vary in important ways, all share a belief that audiences can be persuaded to pay attention to state government reporting.

Whether this theory will prove economically viable in the long term is uncertain. However, their efforts provide broader lessons that can be valuable for news managers thinking about political audience engagement – and audience engagement initiatives more generally.

My analysis is based on research conducted with colleagues at the University of Washington’s Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy, where I serve as co-director. For two years, we’ve interviewed the journalists involved in these new digital ventures and tracked their editorial offerings. Our findings highlight several lessons of audience engagement.

Know your audience

One thing that all the digital news organizations we studied share is a clear understanding of who their audiences are – or should be.

For some, the audience is a restricted group of political insiders. Paul Queary, who runs a Substack newsletter on politics in Washington state, targets lobbyists and their clients, as well as government officials – roughly 500 or so people, he estimates.

“You’re letting go of the mass audience,” he explained, in favor of a “much smaller audience” that is willing to pay for news that directly impacts their professional lives.

Similarly, Reid Wilson, who founded Pluribus News, a site dedicated to covering policymaking in all 50 states, sees his “core audience” as “12 to 15,000 legislators and staffers” who work in statehouses around the country.

For others, the audience is urban professionals who are not necessarily interested in state politics. Axios Local, which now operates in 30 cities, is premised on the idea that people will pay attention – as long as the news is presented in a brief, compact manner and made relevant to their lives.

Others aim wider. States Newsroom, a non-profit that now operates newsrooms dedicated in all 50 states, conceives itself as being a “paper of record” for issues pertaining to state legislatures, according to its publisher and CEO Chris Fitzsimon.

“Even though we’re a digital publication,” he explained, “our stories are reprinted…by a lot of small rural papers who don’t have state government coverage.”

This audience is made possible, he noted, because so many of these newspapers have had to give up their subscriptions to wire services like the Associated Press due to cost concerns.

Add value by anticipating audience needs

The audiences these organizations have–or desire–in turn shapes the editorial strategies they pursue to engage audiences. For those building an audience of political insiders, they need to provide added value for audiences already deeply knowledgeable about politics.

Queary of the Washington Observer, for example, explained that he doesn’t “write about what the governor said” or whether a particular bill passed. Instead, “I try to focus on stuff that’s original to us” and that highlights “the influence being applied [on the policymaking process] and who’s behind it.”

That, he said, is what political insiders are keen to learn – and, crucially, what they can’t know by reading other news coverage. This strategy differs substantially from news organizations that seek audiences outside the circle of political insiders. For them, they don’t try to “cover every turn of the screw” as bills make their way through the legislature, as Fitzsimon from States Newsroom put it.

Such news, he said, is of little interest to most readers as it demands regular attention to policymaking processes that are opaque and often abstract. Instead, Fitzsimon says, they “try to explain how decisions are made and most importantly, what effect they have on people’s lives.”

Exploring the impact of policy on the lives of audiences – that is the key theory of audience engagement behind outlets like States Newsroom and others. Audiences, in this view, care about the effects of policy rather than the game of politics. Favoring the former over the latter means asking, as one long-time reporter put it, “why anyone outside the state capitol should care” about events within it.

Will these efforts to engage audiences work?

Both strategies face hurdles.

It’s not clear whether sufficient numbers of political insiders will subscribe to newsletters and whether advertisers will see value in reaching these audiences. Similarly, it remains uncertain whether efforts to emphasize policy impact will draw audiences towards a form of political news coverage that they have long ignored.

These approaches do highlight the importance of defining an audience clearly, and developing editorial offerings that add value by anticipating that audience’s needs. And that’s an insight, regardless of success or failure in this case, worth thinking about when dealing with issues of audience engagement more generally.

Perspectives

DCN’s media industry must reads: week of January 30, 2025

Here are some of the best media stories our team has read so far this week

Perspectives

Gen Z is changing the media landscape. Can you keep up?

The news may have started as a print business, but over time, it’s morphed into television, radio, and all things digital. In fact, The New York Times derived more than 66% of its subscription revenue from digital subscribers in 2023; up from just 38% five years earlier.

It’s clear that the news industry has already made strides in adapting to this ever-changing landscape, but what remains unknown is how it will be able to continue catering to social media-focused Generation Z. The traditional news industry as it was once known no longer exists and shifts in consumer behavior continue to accelerate. Thus, news organizations’ future success is rooted in their ability to reach younger generations.

The high cost of news

In the past, the news could more readily gain viewers and readers because of lower costs. In the 1830s, for example, the penny press enabled newspapers to cost one cent, making them accessible to everyone.

Yet, as time has passed, print newspapers have become incredibly expensive, which is a substantial barrier to modern-day news consumption. In 2019, a seven-day print subscription to The New York Times added up to more than $1,000 per year in parts of the U.S., a Boston Globe subscription cost about $750, and a Washington Post subscription cost about $650.

Trust factors

Another barrier the news industry has faced when trying to connect with young audiences is a lack of trust. Although the news is more regulated now, the number of Americans with a “great deal” of trust in mass media tanked from 72% in 1976 to 31% in 2024, as shown in the below graph. This is compounded by the growing reality that audiences trust inflencers more than media brands.

Graph created by author based on revenue found on annual reports of The New York Times and Fox.

These staggering numbers are not to say that a handful of major news organizations haven’t done well financially over the last few years, though. Both Fox and The New York Times, for example, have seen steady increases in revenue.

Although major news companies have implemented several measures aimed at younger generations and experienced modest audience growth, the lack of engagement remains a significant concern. That’s because more and more young adults are turning to influencers for their news. In fact, nearly 40% of American adults under the age of 30 say they regularly get their news from social media platforms.

Strategies for engaging young audiences

To appeal to Generation Z, news organizations must shift their current tactics to align with the interests of younger audiences. That means changing how and where they are disseminating information and finding new ways to be engaging, whether it’s through social media, podcasts, or influencers. Gen Z’s changing of the news landscape also sends a critical message to media organizations, which is that adapting is the only way to stay relevant.

Graph created by author. Data from Gallup

Work with news sources they already trust

To attract and engage younger audiences, it is crucial that news outlets actively work with young voices, such as influencers and podcasters. Given that 61% of Generation Z and millennials trust content creators, as shown in a survey by business intelligence firm Morning Consult, their voices are critical.

Having popular social media personalities who make news-related content interview journalists

could extend these influencers’ trust to media brands. This is because using an outside source who has already garnered trust with their viewers could help make the associated news brand appear more credible. Since the ideal way to reach Generation Z is through authenticity, it is best to go directly to the people they find most authentic: content creators.

Podcasts are another popular commodity, especially among Gen Z; 47% of the generation are monthly podcast listeners. They’ve become so popular that they are now powerful vehicles for campaigning in the political world. With Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on Call Her Daddy, a popular podcast among Gen Z, and now-President Donald Trump going on Generation Z star Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast last year, it’s clear that the mainstream news is not the only way of spreading the word anymore, especially to young audiences.

Some newspapers have implemented daily news podcasts, such as NPR’s 10-minute-long morning show known as Up First from NPR, which gives listeners a synopsis of the day’s most important news. The New York Times recently launched its own audio app – enabling it to engage within its own ecosystem and further monetize audiences. Strategies like these are crucial in transforming the current news industry to keep up with younger generations, where the preference is for content that is engaging and easy to follow.

Engage via the formats and platforms they enjoy

Another potential reason for this generational disconnect could be the lack of presence of top news broadcasters — such as America’s Robin Roberts and NBC’s Lester Holt – on TikTok, despite having hundreds of thousands of followers on X and Instagram. Given that 52% of TikTok users get their news from the platform, one has to wonder why traditional media doesn’t have a stronger presence on this platform, especially given its current popularity and that of of news influencers. By having anchors use TikTok (and always keeping an eye on the platforms that are popular with young people), news organizations could better connect with their audiences.

Consider Dave Jorgenson, for example, who is the face of the Washington Post’s TikTok. He takes a comic approach to relaying the news by using skits. That’s given massive success to the media brand, which has over 1.8 million followers on the platform and is now more recognizable to younger audiences. Although there is the possibility of these news figures coming off as “cringey,” TikTok is a unique opportunity for more authenticity to come through – which is key to attracting young viewers. (And again: It can be helpful to work with young, popular figures on these platforms.)

Generation Z’s consumption habits have already drastically changed the way that news is consumed – and the media industry must continue to evolve in response. Nowadays, as shown by consumption habits, the news is about so much more than the information being provided: it’s about who’s telling it and how. So, it is important that news organizations find a way to earn Gen Z’s trust by engaging with them on their own terms.

Innovation | Perspectives | Supporter Spotlight

Informed personalization: editors in charge, trust at stake

Today’s audiences spend time endlessly scrolling social media, but the trusted media experience must be different. Readers turn to established news organizations because they trust the source. They expect responsible reporting, editorial insight, and a focus on public interest — all of which is lost when a click-chasing algorithmic approach is employed.

The Reuters report, “Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2025,” highlights how informed personalization and audience engagement are essential for building loyalty and driving long-term success. Publishers who embrace these strategies and use their data effectively are better positioned to meet audience needs, grow first-party data, and boost subscription rates.

Recently, Facebook reduced its commitment to fact-checking, and also refined its feeds to show users more of the same political content they already consume. 

This trend underlines the urgent need to stand apart from social platforms. If news sites adopt the same type of recommender algorithm, they risk losing their editorial identity.

Informed personalization provides a path forward. By embedding journalistic values and editorial oversight into the recommender system, newsrooms can maintain the trust that sets them apart from social media. Below, we’ll examine the pitfalls of existing recommender algorithms and show how informed personalization solves them.

Two major pitfalls of personalization today

Black box algorithms

Conventional recommender algorithms are effectively “black boxes.” They learn from user clicks and engagement without revealing how they prioritize content. This lack of transparency poses two serious threats:

  • Eroded editorial control: Journalists lose influence over which topics and stories are highlighted if algorithms simply chase the most popular topics.
  • Reduced reader trust: If people feel the site is driven by the same click-based priorities as a social feed, they question its credibility.

When editorial media relies on a purely automated recommender algorithm, it begins to resemble social media. It loses the distinct editorial voice that readers expect from a trustworthy news source.

Echo chambers

Another hazard is the creation of echo chambers. Algorithms that serve “more of the same” can trap readers in content silos, preventing them from discovering essential stories outside their usual interests. For media organizations — which prides itself on a broad, informed perspective — this is a direct clash with its mission:

  • Narrowed coverage: Readers may see content that matches their past clicks rather than content editors deem truly newsworthy.
  • Weakened public discourse: Journalism aims to inform and challenge assumptions, not just reinforce them.

Both pitfalls blur the line between editorial media and social media. If a news site’s personalization is no different from a social feed’s, why would readers continue to trust it?

Enter informed personalization

Responsible media executives need to push back against the click-driven personalization that social media has normalized. Our purpose is not wasting readers’ time with endless scrolling — it’s about using it to make them smarter, more informed (and yes, sometimes entertain or divert them). This is why the algorithm must be informed by editors so it starts working for us, not the other way around.

This is why I believe it’s time to introduce a new term: 

Informed Personalization is a transparent, ethical approach to content personalization in news media, where algorithms are built in close collaboration with editorial teams to maintain journalistic integrity, foster diverse perspectives, and avoid echo chambers. It discards the “black box,” offering an open, controlled system that strengthens audience trust.

Let me give some examples where I believe journalists play a crucial role in informing the recommender system:

When engagement doesn’t equal importance

The most important article isn’t always the one that performs best in terms of clicks. I’ve often seen stories of critical importance chosen by editors struggle to compete with lighter, more trivial pieces in terms of engagement. That’s why it’s crucial for editors to have the ability to override algorithmic recommendations, just as naturally as they prioritize stories on a homepage.

Example: It should be possible to pin articles on top of any recommendation

Keeping evergreen stories alive

Older articles can still hold great value, especially if they’re unique to your brand. The challenge is ensuring that these pieces don’t get buried by fleeting, short-lived news with limited shelf life. These evergreen stories are particularly important for infrequent or first-time visitors, who may not have encountered them before – making them the perfect candidates for a well-designed recommender system.

Creating variation

Articles can be tagged with attributes like section, tone, user needs, or content type—many of which can be automated by AI. These tags are key to keeping recommendations varied and readers engaged. People lose interest quickly, so it’s important to offer as much variety as possible, not just in content but also in how it’s presented.

Pro tip: If your recommender system tends to suggest multiple articles from the same section, try mixing in the best articles from other categories. Readers often prefer fresh, breaking stories from other areas over older content in the same section.

The best systems also play with design to create variation, using different layouts and formats to keep things fresh. A big trend we’re seeing now is how publishers even create multiple versions of the same content, tailoring it for different users to make it feel more relevant.

Conclusion

At a time when social platforms reduce fact-checking and feed users more of the same political content, informed personalization stands as a beacon of responsible, human-driven curation. It respects editorial judgment, fights echo chambers, and aligns with broader goals like loyalty and subscription growth. Above all, it keeps journalists in charge of the news experience. Remember, you’re in the media business. But your currency is trust.

Featured Post | Video

Why sports streaming will be the media story of 2025

On Christmas Day, Netflix broadcast two NFL games around the world. It was a huge moment for a streamer that had been reticent about offering live events, and live sport in particular, for so long.

The next day, Amazon Prime Video showed a slate of Premier League soccer matches in the UK, which it has been doing since 2019. Boxing Day is a traditional, significant day in the UK soccer calendar. So, a tech company winning these rights was highly notable.

For streamers, those two events over Christmas set the tone for the year to come. It promises to be a hugely significant one in sports streaming that will impact every aspect of the industry, from ad-buyers and executives making programming decisions, to the teams behind the tech.

Sport drives big viewer numbers

Like their cable forebearers, everyone in streaming knows that having live sports rights is a boon for success rates. Sport helps media companies achieve multiple goals: driving subscriptions and advertising revenues. Sports streaming also provides consumers with another reason to give up their cable bundle, of which sport has long been the centerpiece.

The numbers make this all very clear. Those Christmas NFL games on Netflix drew in an average of 26.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Big Data and Panel, with the Ravens-Texans clash peaking at 31.3 million. Ahead of time, ad packages were reportedly going for over $5 million and had sold out by mid-November.

On the surface, this is all very exciting for the sports leagues as well as the streamers. But there is a balance to be struck. Of course, the leagues want as many bidders as possible vying for their rights packages and driving up the price. They know that the direction of travel is towards streaming and away from cable and network TV.

However, it is those legacy platforms that can generally still bring in the biggest number of viewers. And that’s something that appears unlikely to change over the next 12 months. This means that while the streaming services will have a growing presence in this space, major leagues won’t be handing over all their rights packages to streamers just yet.

Sports is an advertising powerhouse

Adam Dalrymple, Senior Research Analyst at Enders Analysis, explained why advertising has also been crucial to the shift to streaming. Usually “streamers want to own global rights to content with good shelf life that can be watched on demand around the world, and sports the opposite of that,” he said. This is because “it has limited library value. You have to license it, and it’s regional.”

However, “Amazon and Netflix now have launched ad tiers,” and so are already looking to grow in that space. Yet, with Netflix, the ad-tier is still nowhere close to outstripping the ad-free tier. For example, in the UK just 20% of Netflix’s 17.6 million subscribers are on that cheaper, ad-supported tier,  according to research from Ampere Analysis.

But this no longer means the streamer cannot serve them ads.  “What’s brilliant about sport is you can sell advertising to non-ad tier members during sport,” explained Dalrymple.

New leagues, new opportunities

While streaming companies are, and should be, keen to get involved in sports, there are not that many key rights packages up for grabs at the moment. As Dalrymple noted:

“We’re actually coming to the end of a long chain of rights deals that have locked up most of the premium leagues in Europe and the US for the next few years.”

He added that “there’s actually not much room for maneuver. The NFL, the NBA in the US now is now locked up. Most of the European leagues and the Champions League have their agreements signed until 2027 at least.”

There are still opportunities to be found though. Michael Frank, Principal Analyst – Sports Media at Omdia, commented that “There’s been a lot of sports leagues popping up recently. And these sports leagues that are popping up in all different sports need to be viewed.”

These include increasingly popular sports like women’s volleyball, a 3×3 women’s basketball league and the TGL golf competition spearheaded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. “These leagues have sports rights available to them and streamers and legacy channels and broadcast channels and networks need content,” said Frank.

Dalrymple said that another area to look at is the UFC – the wildly popular Mixed Martial Arts competition lead by all-action boss Dana White. “It’s a competition that’s seen enormous growth recently. And so, I imagine you’ll see some streamers swarming around those rights when it comes up for auction.”

Some streamers are taking stock and even retreating in certain spaces. Prime Video is not keeping its Premier League coverage because of a price rise and its growing interest in the Champions League.

“The fact that Amazon Prime has pulled away from the Premier League rights means that the live football landscape in UK is dominated by Sky Sports and TNT Sports,” a senior industry insider whose current role means that could only speak anonymously, pointed out to DCN.

Technical troubles

Money is not the only thing that puts off streamers from taking the plunge into sports. Live events are particularly hard to pull off. “The technical challenges of providing sport on streaming platforms all comes from one of its biggest selling points.

The fact that it is appointment viewing,” continued the same senior industry insider. “The Paul v Tyson fight was a prime example of how buffering issues, glitches and outages can take away from the production values and spectacle of the event.” 

Netflix seems to be the company that has struggled most with this, but all are wise to be wary.

Venu didn’t have a sporting chance

So integral to the future of streaming is sports going to be that some of the biggest companies in the game decided to collaborate on a project. Venu was meant to be a partnership between Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and we were meant to see it this year. Then, just days ago and amidst legal acrimony, Disney announced a merger between its Hulu + Live TV offering and rival Fubo, killing Venu before it ever went live.

The fact that Fubo engaged in a legal battle with some of the world’s biggest media companies underlines just how important sports is. That development is just the start of the twists and turns that we will see in the story of sports streaming in 2025.  One thing is already clear though: In an increasingly crowded and competitive space, the competition for sports will be felt across the media industry.

Perspectives

DCN’s media industry must reads: week of January 23, 2025

Here are some of the best media stories our team has read so far this week

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Industry-Research | Video

Diversity-driven success overlooked in film funding

The stories told on screen shape perceptions and inspire change. They also reflect society’s evolving identity. Understanding the diversity of those who create and star in these stories is critical to fostering an entertainment industry that genuinely mirrors the richness of the human experience. Representation in key creative roles shapes shared narratives and affects how audiences resonate with and engage with these stories, ultimately driving revenue growth.

The Hollywood Diversity Report, Part 1 highlights the undeniable link between diversity and financial success in Hollywood. In 2023, global box office revenue rose 31% to $33.9 billion, while the North American box office grew 21% to $9.07 billion. However, despite these gains, the domestic box office lags 21% behind the 2017-2019 average. The future of movie-going remains uncertain as the industry navigates the pressure of changing audience expectations and preferences, testing the industry’s resilience and capacity for innovation.

The theatrical dataset mirrors this trend. The 109 English-language films in the 2023 dataset represent a 22% increase from 2022 but fell short of the 146 films in the 2019 dataset. In 2023, theatricals span 12 primary genres. Action, constitutes 27.5% of releases, dominates, followed by comedy (20.2%), horror (12.8%), animation and biography (9.2% each), and drama (8.3%). While action and horror hold steady, comedy and biography have grown, animation dipped slightly, and drama declined. Biopics and dramedies emerge as notable subcategories.

Representation in casting

Cast diversity continues to evolve. Films with over 50% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) casts represent the plurality of top films for the first time in 2023, which marks a significant milestone in a 13-year trend. In 2011, 51.2% of films had less than 11% BIPOC representation; by 2023, this figure dropped to 8.5%. However, actors with disabilities remain largely absent, with 61.3% of films including no known disabled actors.

Actors with disabilities did experience modest gains, increasing their share of leads to 11.3%. However, visible disabilities remain absent among top leads. Women’s share of lead roles declined to 32.1% in 2023 from 38.6% in 2022, marking a significant setback. Female leads would need an 18% increase to achieve parity with male leads. Films with BIPOC leads often fall at opposite ends of the budget spectrum, either under $10 million or exceeding $100 million, reflecting a “feast or famine” dynamic.

Representation gaps persist across racial and ethnic groups. Latinx and multiracial actors remain underrepresented in all roles, while Black, Asian, Native, and Asian, Middle Eastern, and Northern African (MENA) actors are approaching proportionate representation. Gender disparities prevail; except for Latinas, women in every racial and ethnic group are underrepresented compared to their male counterparts.

Box office receipts

Despite continued disparities, box office performance reinforces the demand for diverse content. Films with 31-40% BIPOC casts achieve the highest median global box office receipts, while those with less than 11% perform the poorest. Median return on investment peaks for films with 41-50% BIPOC casts.

Audiences increasingly support diverse casts, with BIPOC moviegoers buying the most opening weekend tickets for seven of the top 10 films in 2023. Female audiences account for most ticket sales for three of the top 10 films, while 18- to 34-year-olds dominate ticket purchases for six of the top 10 films.

Audience preferences align with representation trends. Films with diverse casts achieve higher box office performance across global, domestic, and opening weekend metrics. Nine of the top 10 global box office films feature cast members with over 30% BIPOC representation, demonstrating the commercial success of diversity. The data underscores the importance of reflecting America’s increasingly diverse audience in theatrical releases.

The 2024 Hollywood Diversity Report: Part 2 focuses on the top 100 English-language streaming films from 2023. It offers insights into genre trends, budget allocations, and representation among leads, directors, and writers. As outlined in Part 1, the theatrical film industry registers incremental recovery in 2023, but streaming remained dominant despite studios reducing original content production. This strategic pullback coincided with economic uncertainties and labor disputes, resulting in 115 streaming original releases compared to 161 in 2022.

Comedy led streaming releases at 30%, followed by drama (17%) and action (14%). Notable shifts included a rise in biography films (4% to 10%) and a decline in animated features (13% to 9%). Budget distribution starkly contrasted with theatrical films: 61.3% of streaming films had budgets under $20 million, compared to 30.3% of theatrical releases. Only 3.2% of streaming films had blockbuster budgets ($100 million or more), dwarfed by 25.7% for theatrical films.

Representation in leading roles

BIPOC and women actors achieved proportional representation among leads in streaming films in 2023, marking progress since 2022. However, disparities persisted within specific groups. Latinx (8%) and Asian (4%) leads remained underrepresented, while Black (16%) and Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) leads were overrepresented. Native (1%) and multiracial (12%) actors approached proportional representation. Gender dynamics varied by group: women outnumbered men among white, multiracial, and MENA leads, while men predominated among Black, Latinx, Asian, and Native leads.

Budget disparities also reflected systemic inequities. White male leads were most likely to star in films with budgets over $20 million (57.2%), while BIPOC leads (58.6%) and White female leads (77.5%) frequently headlined films under $20 million. Women with disabilities remained underrepresented despite an increase in lead roles from 6.1% in 2022 to 9% in 2023, with no visible disabilities represented.

Directors and writers

BIPOC and women directors saw gains but remained underrepresented in 2023. Women directors faced a budget ceiling of $50 million, while BIPOC directors maxed at $100 million, with significant opportunities skewed toward white men. Among writers, similar patterns emerged. Streaming films with BIPOC and women writers featured more diverse and balanced casts, yet these groups remained underrepresented. Multiracial and MENA writers neared proportional representation. However, shares for Black, Latinx, and Asian writers fell short.

These reports underscore the ongoing evolution of Hollywood’s streaming ecosystem. While strides in representation are evident, industry efforts still need to achieve inclusiveness across all facets of production. Examining theatrical and streaming releases as viewing habits evolve offers valuable insights into each platform’s unique challenges and opportunities. These distinctions help illuminate how representation impacts storytelling, audience reach, and industry success across a diverse and changing media landscape.

Advertising | Industry-Research | Revenue | Supporter Spotlight

Are legacy channels starting to hijack digital budgets?

In the first eight months of 2024, digital channels captured $107 billion in media spending, or nearly two-thirds of all available advertising dollars in the U.S.

Is it the end of the road for legacy advertising channels like print, TV, radio or out-of-home?

Keeping track of media spending

I’ve spent the past 20 years working in advertising, on the buy side, sell side, and right in the middle as a third-party data provider. I can’t recall a time when the industry didn’t predict that digital advertising would one day overtake traditional advertising. In the U.S., that threshold was reached in 2019 — to no one’s surprise — and digital media now accounts for 65% of all media spend around the country. But over the past year, I’ve noticed a fascinating new dynamic at play.

It appears that new digital channels aren’t stealing media dollars from traditional channels like they might have done in the past, but from other digital channels.

At MediaRadar, we monitor millions of brands around the clock and keep track of their day-to-day media investment decisions. We help advertisers understand what their competitors are up to and publish regular public reports on the state of the industry. We just released a new comprehensive report that shows that digital channels are continuing to grow, but at uneven rates, and that some traditional channels are surprisingly resilient, against all odds. For media executives looking to stand out in an incredibly crowded media environment, the strategic implications are momentous.

Digital channels dominate media spending budgets

There’s no question that digital media still dominates media budgets across most industries — from CPG to department stores, automotive, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), tech, or financial services. Digital channels like paid search, mobile, or paid social offer advertisers superior targeting capabilities, immersive user experiences, and a direct link to crucial outcome metrics like sales and new subscriptions.

Paid Search, for instance, grew 6% for the Jan-Aug 2024 period compared to the same period in 2023. Mobile grew 9% and display advertising 20%, buoyed by their versatility along the whole consumer journey (from top-funnel brand awareness campaigns to bottom-funnel sales conversions) and a mature programmatic ecosystem.

Traditional channels show resilience

Traditional channels aren’t growing as fast but they’re holding their ground. Linear TV, for instance, experienced a 3% increase in spending in 2024, driven by the continued appeal of high-profile sporting events and record-breaking political ad spending. These events draw large, engaged audiences to linear TV, and that won’t stop anytime soon now that TV rights for the NFL and NBA have been renegotiated.

Local radio remained relatively stable too (it declined by 1% in 2024), offering consistent reach for both local and national advertisers. Its ability to target specific geographic areas with tailored messaging continues to make it invaluable for local businesses. 

Where to draw the line?

What should we make of new media channels like over-the-top (OTT) streaming, podcasts, or retail media? Are they new digital channels or digital reincarnations of traditional media channels with a different distribution method?

We’re starting to see some evidence that much of the money being poured into OTT these days isn’t coming from linear TV budgets anymore but from other digital channels, like online video. Similarly, podcasts aren’t cannibalizing local radio, and retail media isn’t growing at the expense of in-store advertising. Those new channels are as much a threat to digital media dollars as they are to traditional media dollars.

Traditional media channels are reinventing themselves for the digital age, and the line is starting to blur between traditional and digital media. At the Upfronts and NewFronts this year, streaming will be a central part of the conversation, not just a sideshow, and it will be crucial for media executives to offer combined audience packages that integrate the reach of traditional media with the targeting capabilities of streaming platforms.

Cross-channel synergies are the future

With so much fragmentation in the media environment, it’s become extremely difficult for brands to reach their target customers and prospects. Omnichannel marketing has become a top priority for them, which means that media companies need to collaborate more with one another to present a united front — from planning to activation and measurement.

Now more than ever, a well-balanced media mix is crucial for advertisers to maximize reach and engagement. Digital channels like paid search (24% of total media spend), mobile (14%), or paid social (10%) are leading the charge. But traditional media like linear TV (23%), radio (3%), and even print (6%) still hold significant value, especially near the top of the funnel. It’s time to develop more cross-channel synergies so that advertisers may curate a consistent and engaging user experience across all the touchpoints in their media mix, captivate consumers, and nurture long-lasting relationships with them. AI and advanced analytics can help, but only if the strategy is clear.

So yes, after years of digital channels hijacking media dollars from legacy channels, legacy channels are now flipping the script and reinventing themselves on the back of digital channels. In 2025 and beyond, let’s not talk about who is stealing what share of voice from whom anymore. Rather, let us focus on working together to meet advertisers’ objectives and deliver a better all-around consumer experience. The advertising pie will take care of itself.

Perspectives

DCN’s media industry must reads: week of January 16, 2025

Here are some of the best media stories our team has read during the first few weeks of the new year:

Featured Post | Innovation

6 verticals in 1 app: inside New York Magazine’s new app strategy

Apps are hot again. After the boom in investment in interactive publisher apps in the early 2010s failed to produce much in terms of audience growth or return on investment, many publishers quietly closed their apps, turning instead to putting content on social platforms and relying on responsive design for the mobile experience. But app strategy for media brands is shifting.

As the cost of producing apps comes down, coupled with the intense competition for attention on platforms, publishers are reconsidering their app-approach.

The intent is different this time, however. Rather than being a vehicle to drive discovery, publishers like the FT with lightweight offering FT Edit, the New York Times’ subscription-only NYT Audio app, and even start-ups like the Baltimore Banner are using their own apps to build deeper relationships with superfans.

New York Magazine is the latest publisher to take another look at apps. They previously launched one in 2013; a replica of the print magazine with interactive features, which was shut down a few years later.

Last month, they announced the launch of a new flagship mobile app. Notably, it includes all six of New York Magazine’s verticals as well: Intelligencer, The Cut, Vulture, The Strategist, Curbed, and Grub Street.

So what made an app an attractive proposition this time around, and what are their primary aims with it? “Over 70% of our readers read on mobile,” Priyanka Arya, SVP of consumer revenue at Vox Media said. “Mobile is the primary point of entry, and the primary reading experience for our subscribers and readers. So we wanted to create the best reading experience for those users.” 

Arya also said that an app was one of the top features requested by subscribers, both through solicited and unsolicited feedback. As a result, the team decided to look at creating a mobile-first experience that would first and foremost serve subscribers. 

Strategy: One app, six titles

The decision to have all six verticals within one app may seem unusual, but it reflects the subscription setup of New York Magazine. Rather than offer standalone subscriptions to each vertical, readers who wish to access Vulture or Curbed instead pay for a New York Magazine subscription which gets them access across all verticals.

Arya  emphasized that having the verticals and the appropriate branding was important rather than pooling articles across the portfolio by topic, for example. 

“We see very different behavior across our audience,” Arya said, explaining why they offered them all in one app. “There’s folks who really go deep into one vertical, there are folks who enjoy multiple and go across our portfolio, and we wanted to create an experience that served both users as well as enhanced discovery for those who may only be single-vertical readers.”

When users enter the app, there are a variety of different experiences they can have. If they’re very focused on one vertical, they can set it as their homepage and tailor the experience. But Arya said that they make an active effort to encourage people to read across the brands with toggle options for quick takes, deep divers and long reads. “We see folks who do read across verticals are among the highest engaged and highest retained,” she noted.

The app therefore also serves as a discovery vehicle for these other brands. Readers may have different levels of familiarity with other verticals when they subscribe. “We see through our newsletter efforts that there may be loyal Vulture readers or The Cut readers who are just going to those home pages, so they’re not experiencing everything that we’re putting in print or we’re putting in some of our other verticals,” Arya pointed out. “But they tend to really enjoy it when they do find [others].”

A premium reading experience

Rather than a bells-and-whistles experience, app users these days seek clean, fast-loading reading. But publishers still have to develop a strategy that differentiates their app experience from web browsing to encourage downloads. 

The New York Magazine app has built in a number of features to offer a premium experience. As noted above, there are convenient toggles between brands, and the ability to set a homepage while easily navigating to other sites. The app also offers personalized notifications so readers can get alerts for what they most care about, and a better ad experience than on browser. 

Perhaps the most compelling proposition of the app is curation. The app includes a ‘Great Stories’ section that pulls together a curation of timely stories and the best pieces from across the portfolio, selected by editors.

“Our feature stories that run in our print magazine and across the portfolio online are among our most popular no matter what interests you may have or vertical affinity you may have,” Arya explained. “That is a place that doesn’t exist on web that can really help you navigate through some of our best pieces and read what our editors are recommending.”

Helping users find the best stories without the help of algorithms is an increasingly appealing prospect. Because personalization was available for push notifications, the team were keen to have somewhere to showcase the best of their editorial across brands, with human curation.

A long-term play

For many publishers, return on investment (ROI) can be a stumbling point for apps. Although they’re cheaper than ever, they do still require upfront investment, often without the promise of short-term, or even medium-term returns.

For Arya, the app is a long-term investment. “What we’re hoping is by getting as many subscribers as we can to download and use the app, we can increase engagement and therefore retention,” she explained. “There’s a pretty lucrative argument around retention, which is always a longer term play, but a much more sustainable play.”

“Our top 20% engaged subscribers have a 30 to 40% higher retention rate than our average subscriber. That’s substantial. So our goal is to continue to move more people into higher engaged tiers.”

Retention increases are far from an overnight task. But a better retention outcome translates to a solid – and more sustainable – revenue outcome in the long term.

Although the New York Magazine  app is primarily a retention  play, Vox has a strategy for encouraging non-subscribers to download the app with the goal of converting them later. Users have to create an account up-front. Then they get a number of free articles before hitting the subscriber wall, similar to the web experience.

“We built the app with our subscribers in mind; a lot of the feature development was looking at those reader habits and building for them,” said Arya. “But we are encouraging readers who aren’t subscribers to download the app, and we do have a strategy to engage them within the app and ideally convert them.” 

Promising early results

At the time of writing, the New York Magazine app is in the top #10 of the Magazines and Newspapers section of the app store. It also has very good ratings and feedback, and requests are already coming in from subscribers for features such as saving and favoriting articles. An Android version of the app is also in the works.

Crucially, Arya sees it as more important than ever that publishers focus on their own properties. “With algorithms changing and platforms constantly changing, betting on your direct traffic and your loyal audience is something that’s been really important to us, and I think should be for other publishers,” she emphasized.

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