Year of change Themes that will shape entertainment in 2023

20,000 foot view

This report deep dives into the themes identified in MIDiA’s 2023 predictions report. These themes will drive innovation in the digital entertainment landscape in 2023 across music, video, games, audio, cultural trends, and the creator economy.

Expect 2023 to be a of period significant disruption and innovation forced upon the digital entertainment industry, as nearly two decades of uninterrupted growth makes way for consumer-led disruption that is driven by a reduction in discretionary spending, attention, and willingness to make do with tired old formats. 

Welcome to a new way of engaging with the digital status quo. Welcome to digital entertainment in 2023.

Key insights 

• The return            IRL, coupled with reduced spending            to go out, will mean            more socially inclined that entertainment            the better; e.g., the return            the cinema, local live music            and the continued prominence of           
• Algorithms may            favour ‘what you might like’            an individualised context, but popularity            success of content relies on            broader community that collectively consumes            and negotiates its cultural value            discussion, memes, identity association, in-groups,            adjacent lean-through activities
• Noticing creators            interconnected groups, and not as            will help brands to tap            their communities, promote overall growth            audience size and satisfaction, and            in converting casual creators into            serious / impactful members of            creator economy
• Creators only            so much time and energy,            thus building engagement through moments            comes with an investment in            process over the product. However,            creators are able to harness            power of the process, it            the product in itself
• The next            of consumers wants less products            to them and more opportunities            engage directly with the creators            love. The role of products            this new paradigm, therefore, will            to serve as a reminder            the moment
• The search            authenticity goes beyond influencer culture,            an additional and crucial role            the information sphere: in effect,            oversaturation has resulted in information            Credibility is increasingly a function            emotional perception of truth, rather            a scientific one
• Cultural scenes            emerging across the globe, harnessing            distribution power of social and            Emerging markets come with their            cultures that the West has            to leverage for their own            An inability to grasp these            has led to inauthentic and            forced collaborations that have failed            grab the attention of new           
• While the            film and video game sector            continue to conjure new stories            formats, the overall output of            content from the entertainment industry’s            players will fall
• There is            limit as to how many            games developers and video streamers            use pre-existing IP to squeeze            revenues from established fanbases without            audiences who are seeking fresh           
• Walled gardens            by video streamers, IP owners,            video games companies, will be            by fans wanting to express            single digital identity across multiple           
• The blending            cultural fandom on games like            where players can use skins            by disparate IP worlds, like            Wars and NBA’s Michael Jordan,            set a precedent that other            companies will be expected to           

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Africori, All or Nothing, Amazon, Andrew Tate, Bandcamp, BeReal, Braindead, Break Point, Brittany Broski, Camilla Cabello, Charlie, Charlie Puth, Complex, Crisis Core, Discord, Disney, Dreamlight Valley, Drive to Survive, Epitaph, Final Fantasy            Fortnite, Fueled by Ramen, Google, Hulu, James Charles, Joe Rogan, Katie Gregor-MacLeod, Meghan Trainor, Michael Jordan, NBA, Netflix, NTS Radio, Parlor, Rise Records, Ryan Reynolds, Shut Up and Dance, Spotify, Square Enix, Star Wars, Tiger King, TikTok, Toro Y Moi, Truth Social, Twitch, Twitter, Warner Music, Warp Records, Welcome to Wrexham, XL Recordings, YouTube, Yungblud, Zoom