The Future of Media: Disruptions, Revolutions, and the Quest for Distribution

The curious thing about disrupted industries is that very often, when you’re living through them, it’s hard to recognize just how monumental the changes truly are. Case in point: Media and entertainment. The changes are rapid and the magnitude is enormous, but it’s difficult to assess the scope of the revolution. And that’s what makes it so exciting.

Of course, even if you’re just an outside observer, you have to know the writing is on the wall: Cord-cutting is accelerating faster than expected, box office receipts have fallen to three-year lows, studio heads are scrambling, all while streaming platforms are exploding in ubiquity. Netflix, for instance, boasted an impressive 125 million subscribers worldwide as of the end of March 2018. Meanwhile, Amazon's Prime service is now the third most popular video-streaming service behind Netflix and YouTube.

If you’re an investor immersed in innovative disruption—as we very much are—some context is necessary to comprehend the scope and nature of this particular disruption. Specifically: What happens to the studio model? What do cable companies and other incumbents need to do in order to survive and evolve? Can Disney’s soon-to-be-launched streaming platform succeed? Where do upstart streaming services fit into the matrix? And how much growth can be expected from Netflix and Amazon? Summed up: Where are we now—and where do we go from here?

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