MediaTech Radar is a monthly newsletter put together by IABM’s Head of Knowledge Lorenzo Zanni. It focuses on a spotlight topic in MediaTech and reflects on a series of past, present, and future business developments in the industry. In this edition, our spotlight topic is Live News.

MediaTech Spotlight: Live News

A spotlight topic in MediaTech.

• IABM has just published its Live News report. IABM members can look at the report on MediaTech Vantage™ – IABM’s business intelligence platform. The Live News report direct link is here. 
• News consumption has shifted to online sources globally, with online news consumption in some countries surpassing TV news in 2023. This has prompted news broadcasters to adjust their strategies to an increasingly digital landscape
• News organizations have been facing challenges in retaining and attracting talent due to financial constraints and increased competition from digital platforms
• Due to information overload and increasing news coverage of dramatic events such as conflicts, along with the increasing presence of biased or misleading information in the media, more consumers are choosing to reduce their consumption of news
• Digital transformation in the broadcast and media industry, coupled with improvements in mobile technology, has given rise to the trend of mobile journalism. The adoption of mobile journalism has grown according to our research.

MediaTech Watchlist: Hollywood Strike, Streaming Economics, De-Globalization, and more…

A watchlist of selected past, present and future business developments in MediaTech.

• US actors reached a tentative deal with studios to end their strike after 118 days in November. The deal is said to contain better compensation rights for performers as well as increased protections against the use of AI.

• This Hollywood Reporter article highlights how Disney is still clinging to the past to turn a profit despite its decisive pivot to streaming. As it prepares for a new financial reporting structure, the company revealed that ESPN made a profit of $2.9bn in 2022, which is greater than the $2.1bn profit turned by its entire entertainment division. This shows that ESPN, despite the rumors according to which Disney is contemplating the idea of selling it, is still the cash cow of the business. It also shows the intricacies of streaming economics for players making the move from linear to streaming.

• According to this FT article (requires subscription), Disney is also exploring a potential sale of its Indian operations – India became a more important market for Disney after it acquired the Star television business in 2019. This is consistent with similar moves rumored to be contemplated by companies such as Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery. Why is this happening? Pressure on streaming business models is leading media businesses to question loss-making international operations. This is well captured by a recent quote by Warner Bros Discovery’s JB Perrette: “If the market has ARPUs that are just too low or it is way over-served by a ton of other players, who are spending on a ton of content and losing a ton of money, we may say this is not the right time [to launch].” Will the recent focus on profitability by media businesses lead to a de-globalization of streaming?

• German broadcasters ARD and ZDF launched a joint streaming network in October to allow viewers to watch their shows on either of their platforms. This is another collaborative initiative between local broadcasters to counter the pressure of global streaming platforms. This is not an easy endeavor. Salto, joint venture between France Télévisions, the TF1 Group and the Groupe M6 launched in 2020, was shut down in March this year following its difficulty in attracting subscribers.

• BaM Live London & IABM Awards will be held in London on 7 December. Have a look at the agenda of the event which is packed with expert speakers from across the MediaTech industry. The theme of the conference is: “Resilience Unleashed: Adapt, Innovate, Thrive, Sustain.” I will be there to participate in two sessions, and I am looking forward to learning from both the various content sessions and the networking opportunities offered by the event.

• I loved reading the new report by BBC R&D on emerging technologies. It is a report I thoroughly recommend that addresses very important (and often disregarded) socioeconomic topics that will influence the world and the industry in the next few years. Most importantly, the report does not single out a “next big thing” in the industry but rather recognizes the complexity of the world we live in today.

Thank you for reading this newsletter. If there are topics you would like me to cover or have information/ideas you’d like to share, please get in touch with us. 

Lorenzo Zanni

Head of Knowledge

IABM