The media and entertainment industry is kicking off 2025 with the annual press and networking event NATPE in Miami next week. As always, the event promises engaging panels, and one, in particular, has caught our attention: “The Streaming Wars are Over. Welcome to The Great Media War,” hosted by Evan Shapiro. At allrites, we decided to elaborate on this broad and timely topic and explore our role in this unfolding battlefield.
A Great Fight for Our Attention and Pockets
We’ve entered an era where indirect competition has become confrontation—the war has begun. What used to be a straightforward battle between streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video (to name a few) has evolved into a sprawling contest across many platforms. Social media giants like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube dominate massive audiences, particularly among younger demographics.
Meanwhile, audio platforms like Spotify and emerging players in the gaming world, such as Twitch, are carving out significant niches in the entertainment ecosystem. The lines between these categories are blurring as platforms increasingly offer overlapping functionalities, like video content on Spotify, live shopping on TikTok, and games on Netflix.
The battlefield extends beyond traditional VOD platforms to include social media, audio streaming, gaming, and other forms of digital media entertainment.
The question is no longer which streaming service consumers subscribe to but how they allocate their finite attention and spending power across various digital media options. While streaming platforms claim the largest spending share across all generations (averaging $32), paid social media, such as YouTube Premium and Twitch, averages $17, while music streaming services account for $18. However, many people cancel their SVOD subscriptions for free or more engaging alternatives.
Regarding generational differences, it’s clear that different age groups choose different platforms for their entertainment. Born into a digital-first world, Gen Z’s media consumption revolves around short-form, highly engaging content. On average, they spend 6.6 hours daily on media, gradually decreasing to 4.8 hours for the Silent Generation. Other factors influencing platform choice include cost, content discovery, diversity, and inclusion—though these can often be seen as subcategories of a broader generational lens. Let’s take a closer look.
Media Consumption Habits Across Generations
Gen Z (1995 and 2013)
This generation is a heavy user of TikTok, which has quickly become the number one e-commerce platform for youth. Nearly half of Gen Z and a third of millennials prefer video content through live streams and social media videos. They gravitate toward UGC (user-generated content), allowing them to passively engage as targeted content finds them—for free—without the need to actively choose what to watch, as they would on streaming platforms.
This doesn’t mean Gen Z ignores VOD entirely. When they do watch, almost 60% of their decisions about what to stream are influenced by online buzz. Alongside millennials, Gen Z is the most diverse generation to date—regardless of gender, race, language, or sexual identity—and they crave representation both on and off-screen. Social media meets these expectations, with 75% of consumers feeling there isn’t enough representation on TV and films, while 40% believe social media videos are more diverse than shows and movies.
Millennials (Born 1980-1994)
Millennials bridge traditional and digital media, reflecting their upbringing in a transitional media environment. They spend an average of 6.3 hours daily consuming media, gravitating toward streaming platforms like Amazon Music and Netflix. Millennials are highly engaged in social media but are selective in their content choices. Cost-effective content is a priority, with many favoring SVOD options and exploring free or ad-supported alternatives. They actively seek diverse representation in media, which influences their platform preferences. As a mobile-first generation, together with Gen Z, they also contribute to the popularity of multi-screening during content consumption.
Generation X (Born 1965-1979)
This cohort combines nostalgia for traditional media with a willingness to adopt digital innovations. Averaging 5.8 hours of daily media consumption, Gen X leans on on-demand services and social media but remains loyal to traditional TV and radio. Gen X is generally skeptical of marketing tactics and prefers platforms offering independent or user-curated content. They are adept at balancing media costs, often utilizing cost-effective subscriptions alongside free or minimal-cost options. While not as mobile-focused as younger generations, Gen X steadily incorporates apps and streaming platforms into their routines.
Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
Baby Boomers are deeply rooted in traditional media, including linear television, print newspapers, and radio. They spend an average of 4.8 hours daily on media consumption, favoring reliable and familiar sources like local news and BBC iPlayer. Although some are adopting streaming platforms, their usage often revolves around easy-to-navigate services. Social media adoption is slower in this group, and many prefer platforms like Facebook over TikTok or Instagram. They are less likely to spend on premium digital subscriptions, reflecting a cautious approach to emerging media technologies.
Generation Alpha (Born 2014-Present)
Generation Alpha, though young, is shaping media trends with its early adoption of interactive and immersive content. They are growing up in a wholly digital environment where traditional media is almost non-existent. As they age, their media preferences will likely revolve around gamified experiences, augmented reality, and personalized platforms. Content targeting this generation must integrate educational and entertaining elements optimized for mobile and tablet devices.
Opportunities for Streaming Services to Win the War for Attention
This generational analysis and their different viewing habits have helped us identify gaps for streaming services to fill and turn into advantages.
Fragmented Consumption Habits
Generational differences in platform preferences make it challenging for streaming services to appeal to all demographics. Gen Z prioritizes short-form, easily discoverable content, while Baby Boomers remain loyal to linear TV and familiar formats. Streamers can develop targeted strategies for each generation. For younger audiences, like Gen Z and Millennials, investing in presence and partnerships with social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram can boost discoverability. For older audiences, enhancing user interfaces to mimic traditional media’s ease of navigation and including FAST channels as an option—the "new old Television"—can help bridge the gap.
Content Discovery Challenges
At allrites, we can't emphasize this enough—content discovery matters. Ironically, we discussed the topic of poor content recommendation systems precisely a year ago in another NATPE-inspired blog. Streaming platforms often lack the algorithmic precision of social media, making it harder for their content to surface organically to younger audiences. While CTV providers have made some improvements, such as Google TV integrating Gemini to bolster voice discovery and LG applying AI technology across all products, there is still room for progress.
Streaming services should work with AI technologies and leverage AI-driven recommendation engines to personalize content discovery. Content discovery is one of the main reasons for platform preferences—the more manageable the discovery, the more preferred the source. For many Gen Z viewers, social media currently fulfills this role. That said, VOD platforms should explore ways to improve their content discovery and recommendation systems and cross-promote their film and TV content on social platforms. This will allow their content to be “organically found” by youth. Streamers should turn their "battle enemies" into partners by collaborating with social platforms to create buzz around their films and shows.
Limited Social Engagement
Streaming services often lack the interactive and community-driven experiences that define social media platforms and games. To address this, they can incorporate features like watch parties, live chats, and community forums to create a more engaging and interactive viewing experience. Additionally, building their communities on social media platforms can strengthen their presence.
Netflix is already taking this game to the next level—literally. As announced by their CEO at the end of 2024, one of the company's focuses will now be its gaming offering, which achieves two goals simultaneously. Firstly, it can attract gaming audiences to Netflix while potentially engaging them with shows and films. Secondly, it introduces a sense of community. Their strategy focuses on four main elements, and we conclude what each of them strategically means:
Narrative games based on Netflix IP: Creating synergy between Netflix’s streaming and gaming offerings.
Party and couch co-op games on TV: Revitalizing family game night and targeting all
generations.
Kids' games (no ads, no in-app payments): Building loyalty among future consumers.
Mainstream game titles: Emulating successes like Grand Theft Auto to capture gamers' attention.
Smart move, Netflix. Something to learn from.
Representation Gaps
The equation is simple: content should be as diverse as those watching it. A lack of diverse and inclusive content risks alienating Gen Z and Millennials, who actively seek representation on-screen and behind the scenes. In 2024, almost a third of our blog articles focused on or mentioned the lack of representation in gender, race, sexuality, disabilities, etc. While the situation has slowly improved, there is still plenty of room for growth.
Streamers should invest in creating, sourcing, and promoting diverse, inclusive content. This will not only meet audience expectations but also expand reach across demographics.
Winning the Battle for Attention with Agility
In this complex media war, which highlights streaming’s weaknesses and opens up new opportunities, agility becomes one of the primary weapons for addressing shifting trends, audience preferences, and emerging technologies. Having a solid content library or a strong marketing campaign is no longer enough. The key to standing out is adapting and evolving in real-time, staying ahead of the competition while keeping audiences engaged and loyal.
What do we mean by agility? Platforms that quickly adopt new technologies or strategies will lead the charge in this “Great Media War.” The nimbler a platform is, it can better navigate the fragmentation of media consumption across generations and platforms.
Agility also means responding quickly to feedback. Whether it’s a growing demand for diverse content, evolving monetization models, or the need for seamless content discovery, platforms must be able to make changes and offer solutions rapidly. This level of responsiveness can create a better user experience and help maintain subscriber loyalty—both crucial for long-term success.
The Ultimate Bullet: Content-as-a-Service (allrites CaaS)
At allrites, we understand that agility is paramount to succeeding in this competitive landscape. That’s why our Content-as-a-Service (CaaS) model is designed to give streaming platforms the flexibility they need to act swiftly and effectively. With CaaS, platforms can quickly access a curated selection of high-quality international content, ensuring they have the correct titles to meet audience demand—without the long, complex process of traditional content acquisition.
CaaS allows platforms to test and launch new content quickly, adding or removing titles based on viewer engagement and demand. This flexibility allows for a rapid response to trends and shifts in audience preferences, ensuring platforms stay ahead of the curve. Additionally, with our CaaS solution, platforms can quickly scale their content library without worrying about the logistical and financial burdens of acquiring global content.
By leveraging allrites’ CaaS model, streaming platforms gain the agility they need to win the battle for attention, adapting to audience demands and staying competitive in an increasingly fragmented media world.
About allrites
Located in Singapore and operating globally, allrites is a premier marketplace for buying and selling film, TV, and sports rights. We provide a vast catalog of Film and TV content, from major studios to independent producers, available in any language and genre. Our innovative licensing models, including allrites Content-as-a-Service, offer flexible and efficient solutions for content monetization and acquisition, accommodating the evolving needs of content buyers and sellers worldwide.
Contact us to learn more about us and our revolutionary CaaS model.
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