Blog: Entertainment and Fandom - Page 2

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

Public Service Broadcasting in the digital age: why differentiation is non-negotiable

Cover image for Public Service Broadcasting in the digital age: why differentiation is non-negotiable
Laura Fisher
Business Strategy
BBC
Netflix
Key takeaways from this blog: Streaming platforms now dominate entertainment, resharping audience expectations for entertainment However, public service broadcasters still have an important role to play in the media landscape, offering trust in an era of misinformation MIDiA argues that, in order to remain essential, PSBs must lead with purpose and avoid trying to mimic commercial rivals The past decade has witnessed a fundamental realignment of the entertainment ecosystem.
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Is it too soon to be talking about podcast superfans?

Cover image for Is it too soon to be talking about podcast superfans?
Rutger Rosenborg
Fandom
Business Strategy
Social media
Key insights from this blog: Podcasting faces challenges on its way to becoming a mainstream format on the level of radio, music, and TV While the medium excels at creating a sense of community and personal connection, discovery and accessibility hurdles have so far held podcasts back Supported by our forecasts and consumer survey data, MIDiA proposes "glocalised" content as one way for podcasts to move from niche to mainstream Podcasting faces significant challenges in becoming a truly global, mainstream format.
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85% of Rocket League players do NOT count electronic music as a favourite music genre – own goal or opportunity?

Cover image for 85% of Rocket League players do NOT count electronic music as a favourite music genre – own goal or opportunity?
Rhys Elliott
Business Strategy
Music
Fandom
Key takeaways from this blog: Only 15% of Rocket League players list EDM as a top genre, per MIDiA data, despite its dominance in the game Players are twice as likely than average to prefer EDM, often due to in-game exposure (per MIDiA interviews) Psyonix should diversify its soundtrack, as explored in MIDiA’s ‘Pixels to Playlists’ report, to boost engagement and match broader player tastes Anybody who has played Psyonix’s Rocket League knows that the game is almost synonymous with electronic music.
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The BBC, Channel 4, and the risk of giving too much to YouTube

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Ben Woods
Business Strategy
YouTube
Netflix
Key insights from this blog: As YouTube has skyrocketed in popularity, it has become an unexpected challenge for the UK's public service broadcasters These broadcasters are also facing challenges from streaming services, which can afford bigger budget productions and big-name talent MIDiA explores how public service broadcasters can avoid pitfalls and survive in an evolving television landscape The BBC, Channel 4, and ITV have made some great strides adapting to a world where YouTube is becoming front and centre of TV viewing.
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20% of gamers love couch co-op: Split Fiction’s success is proof players want more

Cover image for 20% of gamers love couch co-op: Split Fiction’s success is proof players want more
Rhys Elliott
Audience Insight
Games
Gaming
Key insights from this blog: MIDiA's research shows that a significant portion of gamers consider couch co-op a favourite genre. The runaway success of Split Fiction supports these findings Producing more couch co-op games would cater to gamer segments that MIDiA has identified as being underserved, including women and older gamers As growth across gaming slows, couch co-op games are a key opportunity the industry needs to seize Split Fiction , the co-op-only adventure game from Hazelight Studios, has sold over 2 million copies in one week, generating revenues of over $100 million.
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Live orchestras and game-specific songs: Death Stranding is a masterclass in harmonising games and music

Cover image for Live orchestras and game-specific songs: Death Stranding is a masterclass in harmonising games and music
Rhys Elliott
Marketing Strategy
Fandom
Music
Key insights from this blog: There is ample opportunity for the games industry to leverage music to its advantage Key MIDiA data highlights that real-world live concerts using game music AND artists recording original music specifically for games are two underutilised strategies The music industry is not leveraging games as well as it could, but there is some low-hanging fruit – backed up by case studies – that should change that.
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The case for more digestable games: Over a third of console and PC gamers play LESS than 5 hours a week

Cover image for The case for more digestable games: Over a third of console and PC gamers play LESS than 5 hours a week
Rhys Elliott
YouTube
Netflix
TikTok
The attention economy is oversaturated. Games are not just competingwith other games but with TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, and well ... life. But the games industry – especially premium games on console and PC – has a unique twofold challenge: Supply : New AAA games can take five years or more to make (and often have budgets in the hundreds of millions) Demand : Player attention and play time are already maxed out MIDiA’s consumer research for Q4 2024 underlines just how little time consumers have to play.
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How PlayStation broke its hardware and active user records in Q4

Cover image for How PlayStation broke its hardware and active user records in Q4
Rhys Elliott
Business Strategy
Netflix
TikTok
Sony released its financial results for calendar Q4 2024. Here are the high-level results: Sony generated revenues of $27.9 billion As always, its Game & Network Services (G&NS) Segment – PlayStation – was the biggest segment (38%) Sony Music accounted for 11% and Sony Pictures for 9% of revenue share respectively We'll be focusing on PlayStation for the rest of the article.
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Bringing fandom to life: the rise of IRL superfan experiences

Cover image for Bringing fandom to life: the rise of IRL superfan experiences
Olivia Jones
Fandom
Spotify
Streaming
Much of the recent discussion around music superfan monetisation has focused on online superfans, especially as more superstars join fan platforms like Weverse. These monetisation strategies capitalise on fans’ growing desire for artist-fan interaction but often rely on artists’ active participation, adding yet another task to their ever-growing list of marketing responsibilities.
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