What were the biggest changes in the international TV business in 2024?
The continuing consolidation of the global entertainment giants – the GEGs – coupled with the rapidly shifting viewing habits of the younger generations has led to the swift reallocation of ad dollars and the shrinking of the overall need for content. We simply don’t need as many companies to make fewer programs. Is it survival of the fittest, or survival of the nimblest, or simply survival of the GEGs? If so, you better be part of one or figure out something else to do!
There’s a lot of talk about younger viewers straying to YouTube and elsewhere. What does TV need to do to respond and remain relevant?
Great storytelling, whether scripted or unscripted, will always find a way. The relevance is still there. It’s just too many choices and the feeling that everything is all so disposable that makes it feel hopeless. There is not a scarcity of content, and it comes so quickly and rapidly, that few things get to stick around for discussion or stick around in our collective consciousness. A culling of companies and content can perhaps make things more valuable again to the viewer and to the companies. Programming to niche markets may sound great, but then very little seems special anymore.
What will be the biggest challenges and opportunities for the industry in 2025?
Stay lean, stay nimble, stay flexible, stay humble. Arrogance in deals will destroy a company since there is always someone else who will do the same job. Maybe not as well, but certainly for less, and in this brave new world of too much content will it really matter to the bottom line of the GEGs?
What are you doing to ensure your company thrives in the new content economy?
We have diversified our content development; we increasingly partner for creation and production; we expanded into global distribution and acquisition to offer an alternative to the GEGs; we focus on big tent, big ideas, with big talent and big brands. And we’ve checked our expectations at the door. Don’t expect what was to ever come back and you won’t be doomed to disappointment.
What’s your one big prediction for the business in 2025?
The algorithms will continue to be the enemy. People are trapped in their entertainment and information ghettos because of the algorithms, making randomness, chance, discovery and surprise a thing of the past. Fight the algorithms! Stay creatively independent! Don’t be entertainment sheep!
What are your thoughts on AI and its implementation in the TV ecosystem?
We’re all f*cked.
