The pace of traditional network TV’s freefall is accelerating to critical levels as audiences head en masse to social and streaming platforms.
It’s prompting a seismic shift in the broadcast business model as creators chase more control of their intellectual property and their income.
Social content tops film and TV for Gen Z
Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends 2025 report released in March showed 56 percent of Gen Z and 43 percent of millennials found social media content more relevant to their interests than film and TV, and felt stronger connections with social media content creators than traditional celebrities.
So it’s no surprise that reality TV giant Endemol Shine Australia (ESA), creators of Survivor, Married at First Sight (MAFS) and Big Brother, is now chasing viewers on YouTube.
Despite creating shows that continue to perform well on network television – MAFS is Channel 9’s No.1-rated show – in April ESA launched a series of three new reality shows specifically for YouTube audiences.
Given YouTube is the world’s second-biggest media company, it offers ESA an opportunity to diversify from network TV.
As ESA still has major deals in place with the networks, the new venture Resay had to offer more than a rehash of existing content.
All hosted by Big Brother alumni Tilly Whitfield and Marley Biyendolo, it will be interesting to see how the new shows fare. As of August 2025, ESA hadn’t yet released any performance data.
Creators seek control of IP and income
It could prove a smart move by ESA. The advertising money MAFS makes for Channel 9 is vast, but it goes back into the network’s coffers.
On YouTube, that cash goes direct to ESA.
Perhaps more importantly, a YouTube strategy allows ESA to fully own its Intellectual Property (IP) - no sharing with the networks.
On YouTube, creators may get only a small share of ad revenue, but they retain ownership of their IP.
And then there’s the big one – data.
Audience data key to successful strategy
The value in a streaming channel doesn’t just come from selling subscriptions.
Disney+ was created because the company wanted more control of its content and access to the data that had been going to Netflix from its streaming audiences.
Disney’s core business is not films or TV, it’s theme parks and merchandise, so the highly accurate market research from Disney+ is hugely beneficial.
Moana 2 is a great example. Originally slated as a streaming series, when Disney saw engagement numbers for the original film, they course-corrected to make it a feature film.
Disney had access to the data and knew the demand was there. The company reported Moana 2’s trailer broke global records to become the most-watched trailer of all time.
A move to YouTube where ESA has that kind of data at their fingertips will deliver the nuanced information they’re not getting from the networks about audience habits.
YouTube emerges as genuine platform
Screen Australia also recognises the value of YouTube for creators and has provided specific funding to those with a solely online focus since 2016.
The platform is showing intensifying momentum. A single episode of Sydney-based animation studio, Glitch Production’s The Amazing Digital Circus, reportedly recorded 100 million views in its first month.
Young viewers today just see YouTube as another channel and the networks need to diversify.
What was once a dumping ground of content has become a genuine platform for filmmakers to showcase and monetise their work.
This is part of a fundamental restructuring of the TV business model, with IP, data and monetisation shifting to creators and producers rather than broadcasters.
- Dr Darren Paul Fisher is the Head of Film, Screen and Creative Media at Bond University. His book ‘Film as Argument’ is available September 9.