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It is now evident to everyone working in the audiovisual industry: television—and the media system as a whole—is undergoing a rapid and irreversible transformation. The real challenge lies in understanding what is actually happening, which forces are driving this shift, and—most importantly—what the global television landscape will look like in the coming years.
Providing definitive answers is difficult. The factors involved are numerous, deeply interconnected, and not always easy to interpret. However, to offer a clear yet non-reductive analytical framework, these changes can be grouped into three major, tightly interwoven macro-forces: the Digital Shift, the Creator Economy, and Artificial Intelligence.
1. The Digital Shift: From Linear TV to a Fully Digital Ecosystem
The first and most visible force reshaping the global television system is the Digital Shift, namely the relentless migration of viewing time from linear television to digital platforms.One data point alone is emblematic. In the United States, in May 2025, streaming viewing time surpassed traditional TV for the first time: streaming accounted for 46% of total screen time, compared to 41.9% for linear television. The remaining 12.1% was attributed by Nielsen to “other streaming,” defined as video streaming not individually categorized. Just one year earlier, in May 2024, linear TV still held over 50% of viewing time, while streaming stood at 38.8%.
Although the shift is slightly less advanced in other territories, the global trend is equally pronounced and irreversible.
Unsurprisingly, this migration of viewing time is mirrored by a corresponding reallocation of advertising investment. In Europe, 67.5% of total advertising spend is already digital, while in the United States it has reached 78%—with no indication of reversal.
From SVoD Disruption to Strategic Alliances
The roots of this transformation lie in the arrival of global SVoD platforms—Netflix first, followed by Amazon Prime Video and others—which triggered a historic paradigm shift. For the first time in television history, traditional broadcasters were forced to compete on unfamiliar ground: the online environment.
What initially took the form of a direct confrontation has gradually evolved into hybrid cooperation models. Today, the industry is witnessing unprecedented alliances built around specific projects, content sharing, and increasingly, long-term strategic partnerships. One notable example is the agreement allowing French Netflix subscribers to access content from legacy broadcaster TF1 and its on-demand service TF1+.
At the same time, the recent announcement of Netflix’s intention to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $82.7 billion—should it materialize—has once again redrawn the boundaries between traditional media and global streamers, with outcomes that remain highly uncertain.
AVoD, YouTube, and the Rise of FAST Channels
Even more disruptive than SVoD has been the explosive growth of AVoD platforms (Advertising Video on Demand)—free, ad-supported services primarily targeting younger audiences. Platforms such as Freevee, Flooxer, ViX, Joyn, and Winamax TV are only a few examples of a rapidly expanding ecosystem.
At the center of this universe stands YouTube, now widely acknowledged as the dominant force in global media. According to Nielsen, YouTube became the number one “TV channel” in the U.S. by viewing time: in February 2025, it accounted for 11.6% of total television screen usage, compared to Netflix’s 8.2%.
Economically, its scale is even more striking. Recent estimates value YouTube between $475 and $550 billion, and by the end of 2025, its revenues are expected to surpass those of the entire Disney group. Unsurprisingly, it has been described as “the new king of all media.”
YouTube’s hybrid and neutral nature makes it both the greatest threat to linear broadcasters and their most powerful ally. Increasingly, it functions as a content incubator and testing ground, particularly for non-fiction but also for scripted formats, feeding not only global streamers but also linear broadcasters worldwide.
Alongside AVoD, FAST channels (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) represent another key pillar of the new ecosystem. These are linear streaming channels supported by advertising—essentially AVoD in scheduled form. From around 100 channels in 2019, the FAST universe has expanded to over 1,600 channels in less than four years. Revenues have grown from just over $5 billion in 2023 to more than $8 billion in 2025, with projections nearing $11 billion by 2029.
FAST channels are no longer a “budget alternative” to traditional television; they are increasingly direct competitors, especially in a future where the digital shift is fully completed.
Broadcasters, Social Media, and Vertical Content
Social platforms—Instagram, TikTok, and X—must also be included in this evolving landscape. No longer ancillary, these platforms are actively targeting the television space by developing apps for connected TVs, following the successful path already taken by YouTube.
Another rapidly expanding format is vertical content: fiction and non-fiction designed specifically for mobile consumption in 9:16 format. Episodes typically last one to three minutes, with series often exceeding 50 or even 100 episodes. This format reflects a fundamental change in consumption habits, particularly among younger audiences.
Traditional broadcasters themselves are now accelerating the digital shift by investing heavily in BVoD platforms (Broadcaster Video on Demand). The challenge is transforming these services from simple catch-up repositories into fully fledged digital ecosystems, rich in original content and capable of engaging Gen Z and younger viewers. Survival depends on abandoning legacy logic and embracing new content strategies tailored to digital-native audiences.
2. The Creator Economy: Disintermediation and the End of the Push Model
The second major force reshaping the system is the Creator Economy, which is both a consequence and a driver of the digital shift.
At its core, the creator economy is a model of disintermediation: creators publish content directly to audiences, bypassing traditional gatekeepers such as broadcasters, studios, and networks. Unlike the corporate media model—based on approval, scheduling, and distribution—creators operate with total autonomy across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Technological advances have eliminated historical barriers. Smartphones with high-end cameras and AI-powered production tools now allow creators to produce content that is often indistinguishable from professional productions, including in scripted genres.
More crucially, audience behavior has changed. The traditional push model, where broadcasters impose programming choices, has been replaced by a pull model, in which users actively select content. Media analyst Evan Shapiro defines this as an “affinity economy”, centered on engagement, dialogue, and community rather than traditional performance metrics.
Today, creator-driven content has effectively become the new mainstream, particularly among younger demographics. As a result, traditional players are increasingly recruiting top creators to remain competitive—ironically relying on the very forces that have undermined their historical dominance.
3. Artificial Intelligence: The Most Disruptive Force of All
The third and arguably most transformative factor is Artificial Intelligence. AI is not merely altering production workflows; it is triggering a profound anthropological shift that is reshaping society and the media industry at every level.
The impact extends beyond widely used Large Language Models to include text-to-video tools such as Sora, Veo, and Runway, which already generate high-quality video content from simple prompts. While these tools will not fully replace traditional productions, their presence in advertising, television, and cinema will continue to grow.
Equally significant are AI-powered tools designed specifically for the audiovisual production chain, supporting writing, production, distribution, and marketing. These tools dramatically increase efficiency and reduce costs—while also raising critical questions about labor and employment across the industry.
Conclusion: An Hyper-Fragmented Future
The future media landscape can be described in one word: hyper-fragmented.
On one side, global SVoD platforms and major national broadcasters will continue to offer mainstream, generalist content—provided they successfully secure their digital space. On the other, a vast constellation of digital-native players will serve countless niches, increasingly eroding viewing time and attention from traditional giants.
The result will be a crowded digital jam, characterized by constant competition, shifting alliances, and hybrid business models. In this environment, repeating past strategies will not work. Only those willing to experiment with hybrid, flexible, and creative models—combining multiple pieces of this complex puzzle—will survive.
The challenge is immense. But for those with vision and ideas, the opportunities are unprecedented.
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