While it looks like next year will be a lot, might go ahead and start this yearly thread. Skydance is set to acquire Paramount and NBCU spins off its cable channels. But what (usually very wrong) predictions do you have? I would guess a Paramount/Peacock merger happens, content as a whole in news and on shows moves "rightward" in some way and more price hikes. There might be some more downsizing on some streaming services. Your thoughts?
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2025 Prediction thread
- Thread starter tall_guy1
- Start date
A big trend in 2025 will be the gutting of local TV station staffs. TEGNA has just announced massive layoffs, and insiders posting in online forums have stated that current positions at local stations will be mostly eliminated, with the remainder hubbed or centralized, with AI taking over a large part of operations. All that will be left at each station will be a stripped down news department.
If TEGNA successfully implements this plan you can be sure that many other station groups will do the same.
There is going to be a lot of consolidation in local broadcast TV once ownership caps are lifted under the Trump administration and Republican controlled FCC, but I think we’ll be into 2026 or more likely 2027 before we see the actual effects. Rules have to be formulated and put into effect, then station sales and acquisitions have to be negotiated and completed, then new organizational structures and philosophies put into place, and that takes a bit of time.
If TEGNA successfully implements this plan you can be sure that many other station groups will do the same.
There is going to be a lot of consolidation in local broadcast TV once ownership caps are lifted under the Trump administration and Republican controlled FCC, but I think we’ll be into 2026 or more likely 2027 before we see the actual effects. Rules have to be formulated and put into effect, then station sales and acquisitions have to be negotiated and completed, then new organizational structures and philosophies put into place, and that takes a bit of time.
Several cable networks leave the air and go to streaming-only (probably mid-tier networks). In addition, the purge of legacy cable systems continues, I know that Spectrum isn't doing new cable boxes anymore for their subscribers. Cable companies will tout subscribing to streaming services over traditional cable TV.
At least one late-night talk show is canceled.
I'm on the page of Mediafrog+ regarding local news operations. It looks like KREM Spokane is one operation that is going to AI on some things, including production crews. Even the directors are getting canned for AI. Soon enough I believe there will be several TV stations (probably in mid-sized markets) that lay off their entire staff and either go to centralized 'pre-recorded' newscasts from another market, or WORSE...the "anchors" won't be real, all simulated and AI.
I believe there will be a months-long battle to try and 'yank' the broadcasting licenses of at least one major network due to bias.
Of course, who knows, other things could happen too.
At least one late-night talk show is canceled.
I'm on the page of Mediafrog+ regarding local news operations. It looks like KREM Spokane is one operation that is going to AI on some things, including production crews. Even the directors are getting canned for AI. Soon enough I believe there will be several TV stations (probably in mid-sized markets) that lay off their entire staff and either go to centralized 'pre-recorded' newscasts from another market, or WORSE...the "anchors" won't be real, all simulated and AI.
I believe there will be a months-long battle to try and 'yank' the broadcasting licenses of at least one major network due to bias.
Of course, who knows, other things could happen too.
I don't know about laten ight talk shows....their clips do well on places like Youtube.
YouTube turns 20 years old in 2025!
Well overall protecting TV apps is the big one to watch in 2025 as demonstrated with the situation with Comcast sending CNBC and MSNBC to SpinCo.
MSNBC is under pressure to lower the median age from 71 to the 25-54 range and we seen this when NBC management move the news division out of MSNBC to NBC News Now as part of the move. However SpinCo has to either fire pundits and get pundits that do well for the 25-54 audience for both CNBC and MSNBC before the 2026 elections.
www.latimes.com
Well overall protecting TV apps is the big one to watch in 2025 as demonstrated with the situation with Comcast sending CNBC and MSNBC to SpinCo.
MSNBC is under pressure to lower the median age from 71 to the 25-54 range and we seen this when NBC management move the news division out of MSNBC to NBC News Now as part of the move. However SpinCo has to either fire pundits and get pundits that do well for the 25-54 audience for both CNBC and MSNBC before the 2026 elections.
A wild year for cable news: Shakeups, firings and ratings challenges
Fox News and CNN saw declines from last year while MSNBC saw a slight gain. The networks still face an existential threat from cable cord-cutting.
www.latimes.com
The broadcast networks will put Saturday Morning Cartoons back on the air and stop airing the E/I & nature crap shows. Mission will not sell WPIX and there will be no fine with the new FCC coming to town in Jan. WWE Raw will have probelms on Netflix with crashing issues what happened with Iron Mike Tyson VS Jake Paul fight a week ago. The lyin & dishonest NCAA will be disbanded in the near future may not happen in 2025 mark my words it will happen.
Comcast or Charter Spectrum buys Dish Network as they aren't going to be no more in the coming years. Byron Allen sells his little media empire as he had no business to buy local TV stations to begin with and his cheap ass syndication shows finally get the ax.
Comcast or Charter Spectrum buys Dish Network as they aren't going to be no more in the coming years. Byron Allen sells his little media empire as he had no business to buy local TV stations to begin with and his cheap ass syndication shows finally get the ax.
Won’t anyone think of the fourth rate bad court show actors?
I think the companies that OWN the rights to those cartoons might have something to say about that. If they wanted their cartoons on Saturday mornings, they would have made it happen years ago. Plus, stations are doing much better with local news on weekends, with either sports or infomercials later in the day.
You want cartoons? Buy DVDs, watch the older (public domain or just not valuable anymore) ones on YouTube, or find your local MeTV Toons channel. I do all three.
Argue that point with the FCC, and maybe Congress.
My prediction is that Gray could acquire TEGNA and merge into a single media entity under their name. Gray would, in turn, become the second largest TV owner behind Nexstar and ahead of Sinclair. That is what may bound to happen sooner or later.
The topic was predictions, not fantasies.
Probably more likely that TEGNA is broken up with Gray buying the most attractive pieces in new markets or creating duopolies in current ones. but that is probably more likely in 2026 or 2027.
I think that Gray if they buy parts of TEGNA would want to get WZZM I have a feeling they want to get into West Michigan in my opinion. I was surprised they didn't want to buy some of the stations in the Nexstar Tribune merger I thought they would've wanted to buy WXMI FOX17 in 2019 I was right that Scripps was interested was my one to buy WXMI and Gray was my second choice.
Report: Peacock to stream local games from NBC Sports RSNs
NBCUniversal will reportedly offer its NBC Sports regional networks to Peacock customers in those local markets.
awfulannouncing.com
NBC will air their remaining Regional Sports channels on Peacock in 2025. This comes after NBC Sports cut Chicago, Washington DC, Portland off the regional sports network roster prior to the spinoff as a response to declining audiences and expenses. Some of this was to avoid a situation Bally/Fanduel Sports is facing today.
Bally Sports rebrand to FanDuel started Monday
Minnesota sports fans will see the latest development in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy on Tuesday when FanDuel Sports Network broadcasts the Wild’s game against the Florida Panthers. Bally Sports North, which has been broadcasting Timberwolves, Twins and Wild games since 2021, was officially...
What would be the purpose of that? Each city is its own large metro area, with its own economy, politics, and culture. Same goes for Cincinnati and Dayton. Just because they're close to each other doesn't make them one metro area or media market.
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