All through December we’re rolling out an exclusive series of Q&As with the sector’s leading thinkers as they peer into their digital crystal balls and offer their take on what the next 12 months could bring.
Today’s predictions are from Engine Pop founder Athena Witter;
What’s the single biggest shift you expect to see in digital-first production and publishing in 2026?
The biggest shift will be a move from publishing content to building value. For years, the race was about volume: more formats, more channels, more output. But 2026 marks a fundamental change in mindset digital-first becomes long-term-first. Instead of chasing the next post, the industry will focus on developing ideas with longevity: content that can evolve, travel and create opportunity across platforms, partnerships and products. Companies like Moonbug and creator-led groups such as the Sidemen have already shown how ideas built with intention can grow into multi-platform worlds. The next phase of digital isn’t just about speed. It’s about building things that last.
Which platform behaviour or algorithm change do you think will matter most next year, and why?
The shift from rewarding reach to rewarding meaningful signals. Platforms are increasingly prioritising behaviour that shows intent, return visits, watch depth, sharing and saving over raw visibility. That shift fundamentally changes how creators and publishers grow. Success in 2026 won’t come from chasing reach. It will come from earning loyalty. The most valuable creators will be those whose audiences follow them across formats and platforms because they trust their voice and perspective.
Where will your company’s biggest increase in revenue come from in 2026 – CPMs, brand spend, partnerships, new revenue models or something else?
From creative strategy and long-term commercial partnerships, not volume-based monetisation. Engine Pop’s work increasingly centres on helping creators, broadcasters and brands shape ideas that can grow across multiple revenue paths from platform partnerships to co-developed IP and wider commercial extensions. Brands are moving away from one-off content activations and toward more intentional collaborations that feel relevant and audience-led. The industry’s value is shifting upstream, towards clarity of identity and ideas built with room to expand.
What creative formats or genres do you think will break out next year?
The formats that win in 2026 will be the ones that create emotional pull and repeat behaviour. Creator-led factual and cultural storytelling will continue to grow, alongside content that offers emotional utility formats that connect, reset or reflect where audiences are in their day. Brands will increasingly step into entertainment worlds with more intention and less interruption. But more than any single genre, the real breakout will be creators and studios who think in connected worlds rather than individual uploads.
How do you expect the relationship between traditional broadcasters/ distributors and digital-native studios to evolve in 2026?
It becomes far more collaborative and embedded. Broadcasters are moving beyond social as a marketing layer and approaching digital thinking as a core part of how IP is developed. The strongest partnerships in 2026 will begin at the concept stage, blending audience insight, platform relevance and commercial thinking before production begins. Digital studios bring agility and cultural fluency. Broadcasters bring premium IP and scale. The future lies in both working together earlier, not later.
What’s one data point, trend, or move from 2025 that people are underestimating — and what does it signal?
The quiet shift from the creator economy to the audience economy. In 2025 we saw multiple examples of modestly sized creators outperforming high-reach accounts because their audiences were more invested. At the same time, archive content resurfaced dramatically when relevance aligned with cultural energy, showing that recency is losing out to resonance. The most valuable asset isn’t reach, it’s relationship.
If you could give one piece of advice to producers or creators preparing for 2026’s digital-first landscape, what would it be?
Think with long-term clarity, not short-term urgency. Build ideas that have room to grow that can evolve into new formats, audiences, collaborations or commercial opportunities. You don’t need to reveal everything at once, but you do need direction. Audiences feel when something has intention behind it. 2026 rewards those who create with purpose, not panic.
Anything else to add?!
The landscape is moving fast but the fundamentals are becoming clearer. 2026 will reward creators and companies who know what they stand for, who they serve and how they grow. It’s not about going viral. It’s about building something that still matters when the trend cycle moves on.
