Finally, the Media Is Pivoting to Video

Key Points:

• The "pivot to video" in the 2010s was a failed strategy for many publishers, largely due to overreliance on platforms like Facebook that prioritized video content, but those early adopters were not necessarily wrong—they were simply ahead of their time.
• The New York Times views its current video push as a crucial transformation comparable to the print-to-digital shift, recognizing that 2026’s video landscape is fundamentally different with TV screens now accessible via digital platforms like YouTube.
• The launch of YouTube’s dedicated TV app in 2017 marked a turning point, enabling digital and legacy media to compete directly with traditional TV by capturing viewers on big screens, thereby challenging TV’s historical dominance.
• Publishers now have a unique opportunity to attract TV audiences with quality video content, potentially drawing viewers away from traditional networks and entertainment channels, as seen in partnerships between TV channels and digital creators.
• The shift in consumer behavior toward video consumption, at the expense of text and audio, underpins the Times’ strategy to expand its reach and subscriber base through video, aiming to deliver high-quality original reporting to a broader audience.