Posted by:
Nitin Buantoa
Publish Date:
2 Apr, 2026
The new era of media has arrived, and organisations must choose to lead the way, or risk becoming passive spectators in this once-in-a-lifetime industry upheaval. The measures you take now will determine whether you come out of the industry upheaval playing catch-up or leading the way.
In this article:
- - The media industry today.
- - The changes affecting the media industry.
- - Where is the media industry heading?
- - How you can prepare for the new world of media.
The Media Industry Today
Today, media organisations are recalibrating following a seismic shift seen by the industry over the last ten years. We’re not talking about a simple change, we’re talking about one of the most rapid decentralisations that any industry has ever seen, all triggered by technological advancement.
At the heart of this transformation is the decline of traditional print media and the rise of digital-first models. Print circulation has steadily diminished as audiences migrate online, drawn by immediacy, accessibility, and personalised experiences.
In response, media organisations have pivoted toward digital subscriptions, paywalls, and membership models, seeking to replace lost advertising revenue with more stable, reader-driven income streams.
This shift has forced publishers to rethink not only their distribution strategies but also their value propositions, prioritising high-quality, differentiated content that audiences are willing to pay for.
But, with subscription fatigue setting in, the industry clearly isn’t done evolving just yet.
The Changes Affecting the Media Industry
Just 15 years ago, the media industry was controlled by a capital-intensive oligopoly. There were just 5 mainstream channels, and a few ‘indie’ channels in supporting roles. There was a clear hierarchy of where content should be, and where advertising should be, if eyeballs were the currency of value.
Today, we’re entertained by a highly-fragmented web of traditional broadcasters, streaming providers and independent digital creators. Each player intertwined with multiple providers through complicated rights arrangements.
1. Industry Changes Leading to the ‘New Media' Era
Ease of entry to the media industry
With smartphones that shoot in 4k, subscription-based software at accessible price points and publishing platforms that are free of charge, entry into the media industry has become much easier.
Traditional barriers such as high production costs and institutional gatekeeping have been subverted by new technologies and content publishers and creators have to compete harder for the attention of their audience.
Customer viewing is fragmented, complicating content delivery
Digital platforms enable aspiring journalists and creators to publish content instantly to global audiences through social media, blogs, podcasts, and video channels, often using just a smartphone.
Gone are scheduled programmes that would capture the nation in the same moment. Streaming means viewers have control over what they watch, and when and where they watch it, with more choice than ever over what to watch. This makes for intrinsically complicated service delivery logistics.
Traditional funding channels are closing in
With so much choice, consumers are reluctant to pay for subscriptions and media creators and publishers are having to rethink revenue streams. Self Financial in 2025 reported that the average number of household subscriptions in the US had dropped from 4.1 to 2.8 during 2024.
Responsibility for regulatory compliance is real
Media organisations are in a catch-22. More data is needed to deliver the tailored viewing experience we all hanker for, but data privacy legislation is tougher than ever, with high fines for those that fail to manage the risk; an issue that will only grow in importance in the years ahead.
The flip side of global opportunities
Artificial intelligence and user-friendly software tools streamline processes like editing, design, data analysis, and even content generation, allowing individuals to produce professional-quality work with minimal resources.
This technological shift has created a more open and competitive landscape, where success is increasingly driven by creativity, adaptability, and the effective use of digital tools rather than traditional industry pathways.
With some industry players using more traditional production methods, and others switching to more cost-effective and accessible content creation strategies, it’s likely that resources and facilities could find it harder to predict demand. As they learn to strike a balance with where the demand for their more traditional services sits, there’s likely to be a period of instabililty in the market.
You can find more analysis around the challenges facing the media industry of today in our article ‘ Do you have the key to solving media industry market complexity’ where we look at how media businesses can protect themselves from the upheaval of the change the industry is facing.
2. So Where is the Media Industry Heading?
Successful media players will be those that can prove value.
In the coming years, the media industry will continue to shift, closing the gap between ad spend and advertising returns. AI and omni-channel delivery will enable attribution like never before, so everyone from your campaign lead to your C-suite will have crystal clear visibility on the results of any given advertising campaign.
With these insights, the metric measured will no longer be reach, but replaced by actual returns delivered and measured with Connected TV.
AI will play an increasing role in the creation and delivery of content.
AI can help create content by generating text, images, and video, speeding up production and reducing costs. It can be used to enhance personalisation by analysing user data to deliver tailored content to specific audiences. It can even optimise distribution through algorithms that schedule, recommend, and target content more effectively across platforms to deliver a more enjoyable and targeted viewing experience. AI is set to continue the media industry transformation we’re already seeing.
AI in content creation
While some experts have floated the idea of 90% of content online being AI-generated by 2026, I’m pleased to say it doesn’t seem to be happening with quite that level of haste. However, research by SEO agency Graphite suggests a more realistic 50% of content online is already AI-generated and that’s likely to spread to the broader media industry within the next few years.
With AI-generated videos, bots supporting customer interactions, virtual influencers that are completely fabricated characters, and even digital twins (replicas representing real-life individuals in an online world), the potential impact this has for the media industry is mind-blowing.
In response, the media industry will need to have the capability to authenticate content and differentiate between ‘real’ events and ‘generated’ events. What’s more, that authentication process will need to be bullet-proof if viewers are to have any confidence in the content they consume. tailoring the viewer experience
AI in tailoring the viewer experience
Done effectively, AI gives us the tools we need to deliver hyper-personalised entertainment experiences, and it could also offer cost savings and opportunity optimisation beyond anything we’ve ever seen.
However, it carries with it substantive risks. Risks that will demand the evolution of media creators, distributors, and the regulators that control them.
Whether behind the scenes delivering, analysing data and optimising business opportunities, or in front of the camera replacing traditional TV shows, actors and actresses, the extensive impact that AI will have on the industry is immense.
Consumer demands will rise
Consumer demand is likely to rise as digital platforms make content more accessible, personalised, and available. AI-driven recommendations and diverse content formats keep audiences more engaged and increase consumption. However, consumer expectations for quality, relevance, and media content they can trust will also rise.
What the consumer looks for in a streaming provider will change as technological boundaries are challenged. The potential for biometric integration through wearable devices may mean that streaming providers will be able to determine your mood and match or manage it with the content it recommends.
End-less stories (not to be confused with endless stories, but generative stories where consumers can choose outcomes or ‘pathways’) could deliver a new level of content engagement for viewers to delight in.
Whatever the driver, generative content creation and delivery is likely to mean that audiences expect a new level of personalisation. Once one streaming platform leads the way, the challenge will be set for others to compete. For those who can’t, the cost will be high.
At some point, the needs of the media industry will change
With lower barriers to market entry, it’s possible that a deluge of content creators could result in a destabilisation of the existing media supply market. Over time this will ossify, and suppliers will understand and be able to cater for the true demand.
This may mean a return to a world where greater technological facilities and capabilities are accessible only by those larger, capital-rich content creation organisations, or it may resemble something more decentralised.
As we wait for the initial winds of change to subside, the industry players may find themselves battling with over- or under-resource issues but, in due course, this is likely to settle into a more reliable rhythm.
3. How you can Prepare for the New World of Media
Are you ready for digital migration?
One thing is certain, whether it be through the automation of processes and workflows to deliver costs savings, reduce fraud, or streamline processes, the role that Artificial Intelligence plays will only grow.
AI is driven by data and the better the data, the stronger the output. So, for those who want to capitalise on the potential gains that AI can deliver, laying strong data foundations is critical.
For organisations, this means embracing a digital-first mindset, investing in technology, integrating AI into workflows, and building direct, data-driven relationships with audiences.
Those that adapt quickly can unlock new revenue streams and deeper engagement, while those that delay risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive and fast-moving media landscape.
Many organisations have data scattered across different geographies, departments and teams, hidden in multiple spreadsheets and stored in a variety of applications. Some data sources may talk to others, many don’t. Some data will be obsolete, some incomplete and some inaccurate.
With an increasing reliance on data to drive investment decisions and even deliver decisions, can you afford to be blinded by old routes and crumbling infrastructure?
To deliver the very best insights, an organisation must consolidate its data to achieve a single source of truth that it can rely on. A pre-programme like Ignite can help you understand exactly what needs doing before you can even take the first steps on a digital migration journey.
Will your existing ERP solution take you into the new era of media production and distribution?
As the industry becomes more digital, data-driven, and fast-paced, modern ERP systems play a critical role in connecting content creation, rights management, finance, and distribution into a single, streamlined ecosystem.
Your ERP solution must be up to the complexity of the future. It must have the integration capabilities you need to take advantage of all of the exciting technologies headed our way. But this cannot be at the cost of your present-day delivery.
Any ERP solution you choose must ground your daily service delivery in reliable and robust workflows and processes and offer the agility and scalability to grow with the business, and indeed the industry.
Some ERP solutions are reaching end-of-life with support being discontinued. While it may be tempting to use them for as long as possible, it’s always better to take time to shift to a new solution. By working to a timeframe that suits your business, you’re less likely to make rash or hasty decisions, or to fail to see potential future needs.
Failing to act in a timely fashion could leave you flailing as your existing solution struggles to manage your current complexities, leaving money on the table at every stage of the supply chain.
Are you squeezing every bit of fuel from your current set-up to take you proactively into the new media landscape?
With costs rising, competition increasing and a whole raft of technology-enabled opportunities available, effective cost management may not just be the key to longevity. It may be the differentiator between those who just about survive and those positioned, ready on the starting block, with the means and reserves they need to thrive in this new-look media industry.
With the complexity of cost management, the right technology stack will help you to see exactly where you’re leaving money on the table.
Whether it’s sourcing cost-saving opportunities such as applicable regional grants for location filming, or validating and checking invoices to ensure they’re correct and genuine, technology can provide the ability to zoom in on operations more closely than ever before. This gives you the power to fine-tune and retune to reach both your optimum ROI and your organisation’s potential.
Conclusion: The Pivotal Role of the ERP
How media is made, consumed and monetised has changed, and it’s likely to continue to do so in the coming few years. The traditional advantages of size, and even vast libraries of legacy content alone will not be enough to carry you through. Those who succeed will be those who can leverage their content, old or new, most effectively, and monetise it exhaustively.
In conclusion, the future of the media industry will be defined by how effectively organisations align with technology, from digital platforms to AI-driven innovation.
As content creation and distribution become increasingly complex and data-centric, ERP systems will play a pivotal role in integrating workflows, enhancing visibility, and enabling faster, smarter decision-making.
By leveraging ERP as a strategic foundation, media organisations can not only streamline production and optimise distribution, but also remain agile and competitive in a rapidly evolving, technology-led landscape.
See how you can get transformation-ready with Ignite. Learn more here.