The New Age of Media

Hello, it's been a while, Happy Friday!

Hey there, Jose over here 🙂 Hope your Friday's off to a fantastic start! Feels like it's been a while, but I'm back with a jam-packed update on the twists and turns in Media and Tech + My Take as usual at the end.

Let's talk about change-makers, Google happened to be on the radar last month. The chatter about their third-party cookie postponement unfolds as advertisers and regulators squirm a bit. Google's out there juggling with the "Privacy Sandbox initiative"—it's got potential, but let's not hold our breath. In short — Cookies are not going away after all. I thought I'd mention it since my last post was about cookies going away, and now they are not, so I wanted to preface today's post with that.

Alright, enough about cookies now, there's so much more going on now since the last post I did! From content platforms shifting gears to other tech innovations shaping our digital experience, to now the topic we have been hearing every day, the 2024 Election. Let's talk about how Media is evolving at an extremely rapid pace.

The New Age of Media: From TV Screens to YouTube Streams

As we step into 2024, the media consumption landscape has undergone a seismic shift. Gone are the days when evening prime-time TV was king. Today, we're tuning into YouTube streams and trending podcasts to catch our favorite shows, interviews, and political dialogues. Leading the charge in this media revolution is Gen Z, whose consumption habits are reshaping the industry. Here's how they're doing it:

The Numbers Don't Lie

Here's a snapshot of the media landscape as of Q4 2024—spoiler: traditional TV is struggling.

A mere 29% of Gen Z still watch traditional TV.
In contrast, 53% have listened to a podcast within the last month.

TV's Diminished Role in Big Moments

Political debates were once the hallmark of televised media, a chance for candidates to present their views to vast audiences. But now, audiences are turning to podcasts and YouTube for these discussions. Candidates are finding success and unprecedented reach with long-form, unfiltered content, occasionally crossing 100 million views in weeks like Kamala and Trump did in October, far outpacing traditional TV's fragmented viewership.

The Rise of TikTok in News Consumption

In a 2024 Pew survey, 4 in 10 young adults reported getting their news from TikTok. This paradigm shift showcases how younger audiences prefer dynamic, accessible, quick-bite formats for their news, making TikTok a pivotal player in modern media. By blending engaging content with easy interactivity, platforms like TikTok offer a new frontier for news consumption.

The Streaming Evolution: Traditional Meets Modern

These shifts in viewership aren't just trends; they're blueprints for the future of media. Traditional TV is not blind to these changes. Consider the NFL's partnership with Amazon Prime to broadcast Thursday Night Football—it's a testament to the swinging pendulum from cable to streaming. Viewers are logging into their streaming accounts, not cable boxes, spending their time in ecosystems that personalize experiences and content.

The Implications for TV Networks

Traditional TV networks must adapt or risk obsolescence. Acquiring independent YouTube channels and podcasts could be their ticket to ride this digital content wave, directly accessing younger audiences eschewing the TV guide for algorithmic content. Embracing digital media may be the fastest path to maintaining relevance in our fragmented attention landscape.

My Take

We're at the brink of a tectonic shift in the media space, we all know that. With YouTube, TikTok, and podcasts staking their claim as the new titans, traditional networks need to pivot—or get left behind. Picture this: a 2028 presidential debate not on your traditional network, but streaming live, capturing every eyebrow raise and comment on a TikTok-esque platform. Sounds wild? It's a lot closer than you'd think.

Here's the real scoop: The media landscape is surfing a wave of change, and it's digital all the way. While traditional networks hustle to keep up, digital powerhouses innovate by the second with every swipe and stream. Not adapting isn't just risky—it's a one-way ticket to irrelevance.

Consumers are the real winners here, surfing an unprecedented wave of choice and interactivity. Media giants need to step up their game, blending classic content strategies with savvy digital vision. The big question remains: Can they pivot fast enough, or will digital-first creators continue to shape the future of content, unchecked?

"AI" will be the norm in 2025

85% of companies believe AI will be a fundamental part of their operations by 2025. That means soon, you might have a robot helping you decide between pizza or sushi for dinner.

Fun Fact of The Week

If you got this far thank you so much for reading! I'll be back next week with a new one. Over and out — Jose! 🫡

Originally published on Here Is A Take — October 25, 2024