It's some years since I was employed in the broadcast sector and even more since I took a bit of an academic focus but I retain more than a passing interest in what is happening as the big players face changes and new technologies alter viewer behaviour.
My last employer was Discovery Europe (nearly 9 years ago) and even then thoughts were around how the company could reach their audience without the use of a 'platform' (in the UK Sky), apart from the technology a key challenge was migrating viewers without alienating the present carriers.
The creation of new strategies has meant that the creation of the Discovery/Warner Media megalith makes a sort of sense to challenge the Disney, Prime Video and of course Netflix offerings, Discovery by itself was tending to be a little 'worthy' and the Warner element means a more rounded destination should emerge, there's even News there with CNN and a part interest in the UK's GB News (which may yet become a viable channel).
One of the things that has remained with me since studying Media is that although various governments choose to proclaim their dedication to Media Freedom and de-regulation what invariably comes to pass is 'Re-Regulation' and Freedom (as always) remains problematic in terms of how it's defined.
The USA has a longer history of a competitive and commercial market for Broadcasters and although there has been in the past a requirement for 'fairness' in commentary this has largely fallen by the wayside as marginal alternatives have provided cover for Fox News and others to deliver a more entertaining style of 'News' discourse.
While 'Cord Cutting' has been considered by some to be a method of freeing up the market and the viewer it appears now (thanks to Helen Back for signposting this excellent Netflix commentary ) is merely a way of the Media companies having more direct contact with the end viewer as the means of delivery to the home evolves into a 'utility' type business.
I will follow interest how the US market plays out as without a doubt it will impact on the UK business where the state sanctioned BBC and semi independent Channel 4 are both facing challenges from a Tory Government which appears uncomfortable with Broadcasters' criticism.
Key to the success of Media strategies is how they capture the eyeballs of Millenniums and Generation Z -so anything that ignores the likes of YouTube and Tik-Tok may find they become 'dinosaurs'.
What do you think ... ?
