A broad range of speakers across the media insights community touched on many media and entertainment themes, from overall snapshots of the health of the industry in the current environment; the rise and growth of the creator economy and the trend of global storytelling across platforms; AI’s impact on insights in the business; opportunities to create more diverse and inclusive content that moves beyond generations to multicultural audiences; and a few surprises in between, such as a lively “media throwdown” during the show that touched on many topics.
Here’s a few key highlights from the 2026 conference:
Setting the Stage in Media & Entertainment
The overall media and entertainment industry is getting pressured by new distribution outlets and the growth of digital content (has anyone perhaps heard of YouTube?). While streaming has experienced some positives in terms of content quality, there has also been a lot “cord cutting” and consumer churn trends. Has streaming hit a profit wall with higher costs squeezing the community?
In the meantime, however, entertainment content is still showing strength and that’s indicative of the growth in advertising spending and innovative ad and content formats. It’s all about creating, and curating, the consumer experience for the premium streamers.
Despite these various market forces and challenges, there has been a “virtuous cycle,” or halo effect on content, suggested Suzanne Persechino, Senior Vice President, Revenue Research at A+E Networks (and one of the co-hosts of the conference). In this halo effect, she noted that it’s a triple win—for the consumers, the marketers, and the streamers, which is driving more innovation and ever more hyper targeting to niche audiences.
Others such as Michael Nathanson, Senior Research Analyst, Media, Ad Agencies, and Internet at MoffettNathanson, see the entertainment industry continuing to evolve (which, he points out, has been evolving for 100 years).
In his keynote, “The Future of Content in the Post Pay TV World,” Nathanson examined data indicating that streaming is hitting a wall, with more churn happening, the decline of pay TV and cord cutting. Never before has there been so many choices in streaming yet bundling is decreasing. It seems to be a “perfect storm” of consumer change happening, but Nathanson points to some bright examples, such as Charter’s combination of linear and streaming services, in a “one place and one price” offering.
While streaming has matured, services like Roku, TikTok and YouTube are striking a chord with younger consumers, as short-form video entertainment grows. Just what to make of all the signals to noise? Nathanson sees more consolidation happening in the future as the industry grapples with these new dynamics. There are more content choices available than ever before, but the streamers need to get bigger, he says. “They can’t afford to compete with Netflix,” which is adding its own premium content as well as games (and possibly Warner Brothers/Discovery, although at press time Paramount was still bidding).
It’s the digital players with AI and tech backgrounds that are rapidly growing and getting bigger. Ai is also having an impact on studios, as in terms of engagement, monetization and content creation. “There’s a new generation of voices and gatekeepers,” says Nathanson, and that points to more digital growth in the future. But there’s still, and always will be, more stories to tell.
What Do Creators Want?!
One aspect of content that’s evolving rapidly is the creator economy, but there are many misconceptions as well, suggests Aarti Bhaskaran, Global Head of Ad Research & Insights at Snap Inc. (who also served as co-chair of the conference).
Pointing to a comprehensive study undertaken by Snapchat, Ipsos and Publicis, Bhaskaran in her session, “What Creators Want—How Brands Can Best Tailor Their Marketing Strategy Based on the Voice of the Creator,” outlined the growing business of creators, which tends to be focused on the brands they support and their wide range of followers.
“Creators love what they do,” says Bhaskaran, pointing out the “power of platforms,” which often can be tailored with different content and different strategies depending on the social media outlet.
Creators are also adapting to new digital strategies amid changing consumer preferences. Live streaming, creative features, analytics, and promotional tools are aiming to increase traffic and enhance both the user and creator experience.
These tools in turn are increasing the collaboration with high quality brands, who want in on the action but may not be entirely sure of how to partner with creators. For their part, creators point to such terms as authenticity, transparency and casual communication as key for brand partnerships. These more “conversational” brand partnerships can then lead to better engagement with followers and the building of true communities. In the end, there has to be a balance between the brand voice and authenticity of the creator.
The study, Bhaskaran highlighted, ultimately identifies what creators strive for (entertainment, authentic partnerships, engaged communities) with what brands aim for (inspirational platforms, authentic creativity, shared values, and community driven entertainment). There seems to be plenty of middle ground for both parties to enjoy successful partnerships.
A Moment in Time
Getting back to the theme of the show, the connected viewer, several keynotes and sessions highlighted the multitude of audiences that one can target as well as the wide range of choices now available to the consumer (with YouTube’s looming presence signaling a powerful digital challenge to the streamers). Several presentations strove to look at consumer viewing habits through different prisms and angles, highlighting just how challenging it is to define the media consumer.
For example, in “Media in Motion: Following Audiences Through Time,” The Walt Disney Company’s Selena Hsu, Vice President, Marketplace & Portfolio Insights, and Ellen Morgan, Director, Content, Consumer & Brand Insights, made the case that fragmentation is more of a supplier-side view as they have lost control of viewers, who are themselves overwhelmed with media.
They also suggested that studying the environment is key, as is examining consumer movement—from moments on the phone throughout the day, to ambient and intentional moments, to passive and active moments, to device change moments depending on the content and circumstance.
In this sense, the experience for the consumer is one of destinations, a journey across time and places as they go about their day (and night). The purposeful journey might change from entertainment to news, or from a mix of different types of platforms during the daily consumption of media. These are story platforms, not channels, and each suggests a purpose and a guide to the next place in the consumer journey, the speakers noted.
Following the viewer through time is challenging and the journey can be messy, Hsu noted, but that means that “insights have to move across systems with the journey.”
Time was also on the mind of keynote speaker Tania Missad, Executive Vice President, Research, Strategy and Analysis at Sony Pictures Television, with her presentation on “From Prime Time to My Time: Why Audiences are Ditching Tradition for Social.” Missad’s research explored how social video is gaining attention in its competition with premium video channels.
The study revealed an emphasis on the time of the consumer as being key—from every age and stage, from every device and activation, media is competing for the time of the multitasking viewer as they go about their daily lives. Shifting life stages also set the stage for different types of content, from social (at school or in college) to communal family time and beyond.
With social media being a fixture of daily life, Missad made the case that social life stages are creating a key opportunity in what she termed the social-TV feedback loop, from when an episode airs to social moments with the brand to user generated content when viewers make it their own. Beyond generations, Missad notes that premium content can still have a strong place in life stage moments for the consumer.
Perspectives From the Heartland & Beyond
Finally, a fascinating session called “Does Ideology Drive Content Choices,” from Natasha Hritzuk, Vice President, Head of Corporate Research at Warner Bros. Discovery, highlighted the growing ideology divide in America and how it influences studios’ content production. Just what gets a red light or green light (or should we say blue light?) in a highly polarized environment?
Hritzuk’s research, dubbed Middle America 2.0, examined conservative and liberal consumer content preferences and how studios need to recognize these different values when producing content. Studios need to develop guardrails in terms of content for both audiences, Hritzuk asserted. In the end analysis, the results of the research showcased a more nuanced approach is needed to curate to the best of both worlds.
Is Middle America a mindset? It’s perhaps not as black and white as one might think, as the session looked at how both conservatives and liberals feel about certain types of content, the media (and trust in the media), traditional and liberal values, diversity and other themes.
While the study explored both liberal and conservative views, there was also, perhaps, a middle ground of universal values that signaled an opportunity to bridge content across the divide. Another avenue for a fragmented media and entertainment world to balance opposing viewpoints.
Those stories must also include diverse voices and ethnicities, as noted by several sessions including Jason Harvey, Executive Vice President & General Manager at BET+, in his keynote, “Harnessing the Power of Data to Amplify Black Stories.” The discussion showcased how BET+ has leaned into data to better represent black stories—and also highlighted how black stories have often been an underinvestment among media companies, leading to less visibility, lower engagement signals and therefore false conclusions, a cycle that tends to reinforce and repeat itself.
BET+, meanwhile, has built a versatile data engine that gives it a competitive edge as it looks to optimize the subscriber journey, giving it deeper audience insights (the “what” but also the “why”) and enhanced brand appeal.
Speaking of voices, Federico Garza, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Insights at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, gave an entertaining keynote on “Next-Gen America: How Latino Growth Fuels Media & Market Disruption.” Garza depicted a growing and important Latino demographic, highlighting their creativity and cultural influence, and how it’s reshaping the U.S. and redefining what media and brands deliver.
As Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny’s halftime Super Bowl performance suggests, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup will showcase, Latino influence is only just beginning to show its potential for growth. Stay tuned.
