Panel, Conference Presentation
Entertainment Leaders: Defining Your Brand in the Modern Media Landscape
Milken InstituteCynthia Littleton, Kevin Beggs, Mark Burnett, Susanne Daniels, Jim Gianopulos, Robert Greenblatt, Bob Greenblatt
- Global expansion and digital viewership growth are projected priorities for the "next few years," with NBC aiming for significant international outreach and noting that 30 to 40 percent of viewing currently occurs off-network on digital platforms.
- Monetization strategies are shifting from legacy library sales and syndication markets toward "exclusivity premiums," deeper customer relationships involving non-media services (e.g., travel, banking), and substantial ad revenue models on platforms like Hulu.
- Content production expectations include increased volume where breaking out requires rigorous marketing and digital extensions, with a predicted move toward 10-part "binge release" formats and a demand for hits amplified by competition from Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and YouTube.
- Advertising and measurement systems are evolving to support a "digital-first" reality, featuring reduced ad break durations (potentially to one minute), sophisticated integrations, data-driven niche targeting, and new metrics to replace lagging legacy systems.
- Strategic plans involve studios positioning themselves as B2B IP licensors while leveraging specific franchises and talent as consumer-facing brands, with Lionsgate expecting to secure better talent via foreign rights ownership through its Epics channel and expand its Starz platform into Canada.
- Market risks and challenges include shrinking theatrical margins, a saturated "500-show scripted primetime universe" where many high-quality shows may remain unseen, and the necessity of vigorous marketing to prevent audience disengagement in an environment awash with programming.