As we move into 2021, media and entertainment leaders will be operating in a landscape that has been permanently changed by the pandemic. US consumers have adopted new habits and preferences while the forces buffeting the industry have increased in intensity. Here are five trends to watch in the year ahead as we shift – eventually – into a post-COVID-19 world.
EY research released in January 2020 found that 50% of media and entertainment executives believe they can no longer rely on traditional business models to drive future growth, highlighting the imperative for strategic and operational reinvention.
The impacts of COVID-19 accelerated and amplified long-running secular changes, including streaming growth, cord cutting, fading movie attendance and an increased focus on the price-value relationship influencing consumer decision-making on media spending. COVID-19 also resulted in shorter-term cyclical shocks. Lockdowns and travel restrictions walloped virtually every business that relies on the physical gathering of people. Industry executives are responding by taking bold steps to reposition their companies to align with new market realities.
Looking ahead, the sweeping restructuring actions already announced by several media majors will take hold throughout the industry. A primary motive is cost reduction, of course. Releasing cash for redeployment into growth investment is essential. However, the changing nature of the industry is forcing companies to rethink how they are structured and how they go to market with their products and services.
The steps taken by media and entertainment companies to streamline their operating models for efficiency and effectiveness will remain on center stage as the entire industry plots a course through disruption.
Dance hall is emptying out … time for networks and independent studios to find partners
Consolidation catalysts for media and entertainment companies are clearly defined. Most notably, they include the strategic necessity to acquire content to fuel streaming growth and the tactical reality that increasing size enables efficiencies and unlocks incremental investment capital. However, the window may be closing for studios and network owners hoping to sell to larger players in media or adjacent sectors due to questions around feasibility and demand.
Media competitors that lack the mega-scale of today’s top operators face a crucial choice: attempt to forge ahead alone through turbulent waters or move rapidly to tie up with a similarly positioned peer to improve competitive and financial positioning. In addition, they must set their strategy while navigating the uncertainty arising from the pandemic.
In 2021, the industry will likely see further combination activity involving mid-sized and smaller network owners and studios, motivated by the need to create a bigger platform to fund the investment in content, marketing and technology required to make the pivot to a direct-to-consumer model.
Life is better when we’re connected
Cable companies are achieving record results from their high-speed data offerings as consumers rely more than ever on fast internet connectivity for work, school and entertainment. Pay TV packages, once the cornerstone of the subscriber relationship, are being deemphasized in favor of broadband speed tiers and other connected services. According to the 2020 EY Digital Home study, 40% of respondents purchase internet-only packages from cable companies, up 8% year-over-year, further reinforcing the market dynamics.
Going forward, cable companies will seek to expand more deeply into the household by deploying a broader suite of products that build on the core internet connection, including in adjacent “smart home” areas such as home security, a variety of connected devices – thermometers, doorbells, appliances – and potentially telehealth applications.
Embedding further into the household makes good strategic sense for cable companies as wireless providers begin to roll out 5G networks at scale.
Live events will be back, but different
In-person events will see a robust return in 2021, as the human need for shared experiences remains uniquely powerful. We are already seeing this at selective sporting events where limited crowds are back in stadiums cheering for their teams. Even so, absent a fully distributed vaccine for COVID-19, mitigation strategies will be required as fans return. This will change the dynamics for events – and will potentially open innovative new channels to enhance the consumer experience.
Business conferences will continue to utilize digital platforms to extend reach and include remote participants who remain wary of business travel. Music venues will push ahead with creative audience layouts to encourage attendance, while also promoting interactive options for fans who are not yet comfortable coming out for a show. Owners of large stadiums will utilize their vast capacity to design ticket blocks that meet social distancing guidelines. Theme parks will promote safety measures and offer attractive deals to drive admissions.
While serving as a bridge to a full reopening, these solutions also will keep audiences engaged and establish new multi-channel, customized connections – mobile-based and powered by sophisticated data analytics – that will become part of the ongoing consumer value proposition.
