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NEWSCASTSTUDIO.COM
Evolving content consumption patterns
continue to shape strategic decisions
across media and entertainment.
“It’s always interesting to see how the
methods for consuming content contin-
ue to evolve. Whether that’s as a creative
during the production stage or as an end
consumer enjoying a finished piece of
content,” said Alex Ferris, senior director,
solutions, engineering and enablement at
LucidLink.
During the 2025 NAB Show, education
sessions and vendors will showcase solu-
tions that address shifting viewer habits
and the technologies enabling new con-
sumption models.
Short-form content surges
across demographics
The explosive growth of short-form con-
tent, particularly among younger audienc-
es, will make or break the future of broad-
cast and media.
“OTT consumption is trending heavily
towards short-form content across all de-
mographics, but with Gen Z in particular
redefining new viewing habits,” said Paul
Pastor, co-founder and chief business offi-
cer at Quickplay. “This change in viewing
behavior requires a strategic reimagining
of audience engagement.”
Recent research by GenZ Insights in
collaboration with Quickplay and Toluna
underscores this change, noting that Gen
Z viewers spend over three hours dai-
ly on short-form platforms compared to
just one hour on streaming and broadcast
combined.
Additionally, 81% of Gen Z video viewers
watch content in vertical or portrait format
weekly.
The implications for traditional broad-
casters are profound. Many are now
scrambling to integrate short-form strat-
egies into their platforms rather than
cede this territory entirely to social me-
dia giants such as TikTok or YouTube.
“Today, platforms like TikTok and You-
Tube capture a growing share of eyeballs
across audiences but that doesn’t have
to be the case – with a well-thought out
strategy for Shorts, streamers and broad-
casters can not only compete, but they
can win the battle for viewers,” Pastor
added.
The creator economy
reaches new heights
The rise of creator-driven content has
established a formidable economic force
that traditional media companies can no
longer ignore.
“Short form and creator content in par-
ticular is creating a storm,” said Ben Shir-
ley, product manager at MainConcept.
“Social media, streaming services and
other mainstream content formats are
rapidly adopting a head-on approach to
short form content, building it into their
existing user interfaces and creating
space for its evolution in 2025 and be-
yond,” said Shirley. “This is fast devel-
oping a rich and exciting future for the
creator economy, currently worth ap-
proximately $250 billion.”
The migration of this content to larger
screens further blurs the line between tra-
ditional and new media.
“Just recently, the CEO of YouTube con-
firmed that TV was the number one plat-
form for viewing its content, and more
than 1 billion hours are watched per day
across TV sets in the US - suggesting a
fast and explosive takeover for the creator
economy,” Shirley noted.
Immersive experiences raise
viewer expectations
“Consumers have a new baseline for
what is considered high-quality visual con-
tent. It happened rapidly and it is expected
across all our devices,” said Dave Hoffman,
business development manager, Americas
at Blackmagic Design.
The launch of devices like Apple Vision
Pro has created interest in immersive
media experiences, but these new experi-
ences rely on a long-term commitment to
these products.
“With devices like Apple Vision Pro re-
shaping how content is consumed, the in-
Shortform, vertical content
continues explosive growth
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