Where stands the Media & Entertainment Industry in 2024 and what awaits in 2025
Our wild and very personal predictions
New channels, automation everywhere, the search for any revenue stream available, money and ads shifting platforms, and of course, endless conversations about AI—this sums up the whirlwind year of 2024 in the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry. It’s been a fun ride, leaving us to ponder the trends, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead.
What will 2025 bring? Will it be the year we fully grasp sustainability in media and entertainment? Will AI compliance and cybersecurity dominate the conversation? And what about the ongoing debate between data privacy and ultra-personalization? Amidst these big questions, we asked some of our team members at Knox Media Hub to share their insights and predictions, offering a varied range of unique and personal perspectives on the industry’s future.
2024: A Year of Recalibration
The year 2024 has been pivotal for the media and entertainment industry, marked by significant shifts in strategies, priorities, and innovations. Companies have recalibrated their approaches to adapt to changing consumer demands, economic realities, and the rapid pace of technological advancements. This recalibration has manifested across multiple fronts, reflecting the industry’s evolving landscape and setting the stage for the future.
Consolidation in the Streaming space
The streaming wars have reached a new stage: we’ve seen mergers, strategic partnerships, and the introduction of ad-supported tiers as companies aim to retain subscribers while diversifying revenue streams. For viewers, it means more choices, but also more fragmentation. To address subscription fatigue, many streaming platforms, introduced ad-supported, lower-cost tiers.
There was a focus on reducing content sprawl, with platforms consolidating offerings or trimming underperforming shows and films. Meanwhile, global expansion efforts led to increased production of localized content for regions such as Asia, Africa, and South America.
Content monetization takes center stage
Content monetization also took center stage as platforms explored ways to maximize their libraries. FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels saw significant growth, and older content has seen a second life. AI-driven tools emerged as key enablers for localizing and packaging content for diverse markets, making operations more efficient and targeted.
The lines between gaming, streaming, and social media blurred further, with platforms integrating features across these domains. User-generated content and interactive experiences began influencing consumption patterns and engagement metrics, redefining how audiences interact with media.
The first steps towards AI adoption
There’s no denying that Artificial Intelligence has been the trending topic, not just in Media & Entertainment but globally. The impact of Generative AI on media has raised significant concerns within the industry, and skepticism remains high.
Nonetheless, AI has demonstrated its value by streamlining workflows, from automating operations to enabling faster localization and translation services. For many, it has become an indispensable tool rather than just a buzzword.
Sustainability and Cost Efficiency
Sustainability emerged as a growing focus in 2024, though it remains more aspirational than actualized. From greener production methods to energy-efficient cloud solutions, the industry began aligning with broader global goals. However, this awareness is yet to translate into widespread action.
At the same time, cost efficiency has become a key priority. Media companies, recovering from economic slowdowns and strikes, have sought to streamline operations, cut unnecessary expenditures, and optimize resource allocation. Leveraging technologies like AI to reduce manual tasks and adopting more scalable cloud solutions have been pivotal steps toward achieving these goals.
2025: Our predictions
We asked some of our team members to share their predictions for what’s to come in 2025. As industry players and consumers, they bring unique and diverse perspectives, making their insights all the more compelling.
“Media and Entertainment industries continue to transform rapidly, so companies will keep looking for ways of innovating and optimizing their processes, which is partly related to AI, but not only. We see that the hype, especially on GenAI is starting to fade out and companies are starting to adopt a more practical approach, measuring the efficiency gains independently on the tools used for that.”
Álvaro Montalbán, Chief Sales Officer
“My bet is on content creation with AI: image and video generation is exponentially growing, so it will be more common to see short films and ads fully or partially generated with AI. I also wish to see stories that adapt to the spectator's decisions, with infinite possibilities thanks to AI, as seen already in some videogames. Finally, I am sure we will se further advancements in dubbing and translation of content.”
Pepe Ferrer, Developer
“As a consumer, especially a sports fan, I do believe we will be starting to see recurrently how retransmissions will be get hold of Artificial Intelligence to make predictions on the results of the competition.”
Javier Tris, Lead Engineer
“2024 shocked me with ads interrupting my streaming on paid VoD channels, echoing traditional TV models. Millennials like me, used to ad-free experiences, might see this shift take hold. I’m also curious about the ultra-personalization of ads. So far, I haven’t seen an ad that truly speaks to my needs. As for generative AI, I don’t think we will see much in the mainstream media, but it will open doors to immense possibilities for fan-made content.”
Clara Aler, Marketing & Sales Executive
Looking Ahead: Charting the Future of Media & Entertainment
As the media and entertainment industry continues its rapid evolution, 2025 promises to be a year of bold innovation and reinvention. With growing confidence in spending on transformative technologies, leaving the fear of further economic slowdowns behind, the industry is poised to embrace AI-driven efficiencies and reshape advertising models. This dynamic landscape is filled with opportunities and challenges, and at Knox Media Hub, we’re thrilled to partner with you, offering cutting-edge solutions that ensure you stay ahead in this ever-changing world.
What are your predictions for the year ahead? Let’s shape the future of media and entertainment together!
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