Deloitte forecasts streaming and broadcast shifts as video formats fragment

Traditional broadcasters are striking distribution deals with the same streaming giants that threatened to make them obsolete, while bite-sized video formats claim billions in revenue from viewers who once sat through hour-long episodes.

Deloitte recently released its annual “Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions” report, mapping a media landscape where the lines between competitor and partner have blurred. France’s largest private broadcaster will pipe live programming directly into Netflix’s interface starting in 2026. The BBC co-produces prestige dramas with HBO. Canada’s public broadcaster now operates more than 50 YouTube channels after years of resisting the platform.

“Entertainment as we know it is experiencing a tectonic shift,” said Dr. Tim Bottke, Deloitte Global Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment sector leader. “Today, audiences binge broadcast series on streaming platforms, follow creators on social feeds, watch micro-dramas on their phones, and tune into podcasts that look like TV shows.”

The report forecasts that global advertising revenue for podcasts and video podcasts will reach approximately $5 billion in 2026, marking a nearly 20% increase year-over-year. Meanwhile, in-app revenue for micro-series content is expected to reach $7.8 billion in 2026, more than double the $3.8 billion forecast for 2025.

Micro-series revenue expected to exceed $7 billion

Micro-series apps offering serialized content in 60- to 90-second episodes are appearing regularly among the top 25 U.S. app store downloads, according to the report. Mobile apps such as DramaBox, ReelShort and ShortMax have generated billions in revenue with plot-driven serials designed for smartphones.

Deloitte’s “Digital Media Trends” survey found that in March 2025, about 30% of Generation Z and millennials were familiar with micro-series or micro-dramas. Among them, nearly half reported watching more micro-series content than they did a year ago, and nearly half said they would like to see more micro-series content on subscription video-on-demand platforms they already subscribe to.

The United States is expected to account for 40% of global micro-series revenue in 2026, down from half in 2025 as other markets grow. China’s iQiyi offers over 15,000 free and paid micro-dramas, and Chinese media reported approximately 662 million micro-drama users nationwide as of 2024, according to the report.

The format challenges assumptions about attention spans. While short-form content dominates social feeds, these serialized narratives keep viewers returning for successive episodes, creating what the report describes as “appointment-viewing habits” around daily releases.

Advertisement

Video podcasts claim screen time

Video podcasts are claiming screen time once dominated by traditional television and streaming services. The report states that 44% of U.S. video podcast watchers never multitask while watching, compared with 29% of audio-only podcast listeners who never multitask while listening.

In 2024, almost half of podcast viewers watched on a connected TV, according to the report. Spotify, which began offering video versions in 2022, now has over 60% of its most popular shows offering a video component as of mid-September 2025. YouTube reported one billion monthly video podcast viewers in early 2025.

“Users who watch vodcasts consume 1.5 times more content than users who only listen to podcast content,” the report stated.

According to Deloitte’s Fall 2025 “Digital Media Trends” report, 27% of U.S. consumers say they watch video podcasts weekly. Roughly a quarter of U.S. podcast watchers and listeners say they often purchase products or services advertised on podcasts, with higher rates among Generation Z and millennials.

Former rivals become distribution partners

Public service broadcasters in Europe are pursuing partnerships that would have seemed unlikely five years ago. In July 2025, France Télévisions reached an agreement with Amazon’s Prime Video to provide access to live feeds and 20,000 titles from their on-demand catalog to Prime Video subscribers in France at no extra cost.

TF1, France’s largest private broadcaster, signed a partnership with Netflix allowing French subscribers to watch TF1’s live broadcasts within the Netflix app starting in 2026. The report describes this as the first such arrangement for Netflix.

The BBC has co-produced series including “His Dark Materials” with HBO, which reportedly cost an estimated £50 million for its first series. “Peaky Blinders” was broadcast on the BBC in the UK with Netflix handling international distribution.

German public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF launched “funk” in 2016, creating content specifically for social platforms. The report states that in 2026, nearly 41% of Germans under 30 watch funk’s offerings at least weekly. Within a two-year period, funk content garnered approximately 2.2 billion views on YouTube and 173 million hours of viewing.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation expanded its YouTube presence in 2023 after initially viewing the platform as competition for its own streaming app, CBC Gem. Total watch time across its channels increased by 65% by the end of 2024, exceeding the organization’s 25% growth target.

Trade-offs and tensions

The report identifies concerns with these partnership strategies, including reduced control over distribution, weakened direct audience relationships and financial dependence on external platforms.

“Heavy reliance on external commercial funding could also weaken the case for license fee or taxpayer funding,” the report noted.

The partnerships have prompted questions about editorial independence. “Deals with foreign streaming giants have raised political eyebrows, prompted some producers and lawmakers to grumble about a US company gaining influence over a country’s public content,” according to the report.

Advertisement

However, the alternative may be continued audience decline. “At nearly half of global market capitalization, technology, media, and telecommunications isn’t just another sector — it’s becoming the growth engine of the global economy,” said Gillian Crossan, Deloitte Global Technology, Media & Entertainment industry leader.

The report suggests commercial networks might consider similar strategies, using partnerships with larger platforms to extend reach rather than competing directly for subscribers.