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2026 prediction thread.

tall_guy1

tall_guy1

What are some predictions within the TV industry for next year? Waited until the WB sale was done to see what will play out. Here are mine:

Paramount spins off its cable networks. For streaming it combines with either Peacock or Apple.

Some cable networks shut down.

MS Now launches a standalone app once it is owned by Versant.

Some late night shows announce ending.
 
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How about this one local TV stations have to decide about shutting down their signals or flip affiliations because of the fallout of the Dr. Phil Bankruptcy case and rumors that Envoy will fail to launch due to the Merit Bankruptcy issue.

www.fox4news.com

Dr. Phil's media company ordered to liquidate in bankruptcy case

Judge Scott Everett called the case an "anomaly" saying it arrived in court in "complete liquidation mode."
www.fox4news.com www.fox4news.com

www.thelist.com

Dr. Phil's Most High-Profile Legal Troubles (There Have Been Plenty) - The List

Dr. Phil McGraw, whose daytime TV show ran for more than 20 seasons, had many serious legal troubles brewing that we never knew the extent of.
www.thelist.com www.thelist.com

In Fact Versant is preparing to move their content away from Peacock/NBC Universal in these current articles as the Comcast spinoff is being finalized. One of them includes getting into fast, forming USA Sports, removing peacock references.

thedesk.net

Versant will launch the MS NOW equivalent of Fox Nation next summer

Versant will launch the progressive equivalent of Fox Nation next summer, just in time for the midterm election.
thedesk.net thedesk.net

thedesk.net

CNBC to roll out new logo on December 13

Versant has lifted the curtain on a new logo for its business affairs network CNBC that moves away from the branding of NBC Universal while committing itself to a digital-first future.
thedesk.net thedesk.net

thedesk.net

Versant acquires Free TV Networks, plots new FAST platform

December 4, 2025 - Comcast's spin-out business Versant has acquired Free TV Networks as it plots a push into broadcasting and the development of a FAST service.
thedesk.net thedesk.net

www.versantmedia.com

“USA SPORTS” ANNOUNCED AS NEW BRAND AND DIVISION NAME FOR VERSANT’S SPORTS PORTFOLIO

A global media and technology company.
www.versantmedia.com www.versantmedia.com
 
It was a stunning reversal and one that few foresaw. In 2026, the Trump Administration had its case against the New York Times fast-tracked to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Administration also sought and got permission for the New York Times case against the Department of War (Defense) combined into its suit so the Justices could rule on both cases at the same time. In a 7-2 decision written by Justice Clarence Thomas that few in the press saw coming, the Justices overturned Sullivan saying that the press did not have the right to treat high government officials differently when it came to both libel and slander laws. In addition, six of the seven Justices that ruled against The New York Times also said that when discussing the current Administration and its policies, the outlook by the media should always be that the government is doing the right thing and that anybody with contrary views should either be ignored or reported to the Administration.

In a blistering dissent both written and spoken from the bench, Justice Sonya Sotomayer backed by Justice Jackson Braun decried the loss of First Amendment freedoms and that many newspapers, over-the-air networks, and online media resources would be closed almost immediately. Her words of warning would prove true as the Trump administration began to take unprecedented actions against The New York Times, NPR, PBS, The Huffington Post, and others to force them to close shop. Rupert and Lakeland Murdock were told, in no uncertain terms, that while Fox News and The Wall Street Journal would be forgiven for any indiscretions in the past, they mus now permanently tow the Administration line on all issues. Over at WNYC, Brooke Gladstone's show, "On The Media," was deleted from carriage when she tried to interview a reporter from Mother Jones about the current and possible future effects of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on this matter.

You don't think it could happen? There were a lot of things that I didn't think could happen in 2025 with the Trump administration and the U.S. Supreme Court and I don't think the horrifying scenario that I've written above is as farfetched now as it would have seemed at the end of 2024.
 
Of course, these are all wild predictions, and we'll just have to see what happens:

- Several more PBS stations (especially in the red states that don't agree with their programming) will go "educational independent," ala what KCET used to be. I predict OETA will be one of them, and perhaps Wyoming PBS, Idaho PBS, and a couple of Texas stations (in deeper-red areas). This will continue to be a trend given the Trump administration's stance on public television programming, especially their news and documentary output.

- Jimmy Kimmel's show ends by next summer, leaving Fallon and Meyers as the sole weeknight late-night shows on network TV (given that Colbert is on his way out in May). ABC uses the timeslot to expand Nightline to an hour in the fall.

- Several more digital cable networks cease operation (like FYI, Crime & Investigation, one of either Disney XD or Junior, NickMusic, TeenNick, etc.) due to low ratings and the majority switching to streaming. Likewise, some networks owned by WB Discovery shut down as Netflix has acquired the company.

- Beyond the Gates is canceled at CBS due to low ratings.

- Get After It (Luken) shuts down and closes its OTA subchannel networks due to low revenue.

- At least one station group experiments with AI 'anchors' or 'reporters' on their local newscasts. Probably as an experimental period with 1-2 smaller market stations. (I mean, we live in a strange timeline to begin with.)

- And the best one of all, the one likely to happen: NO "BIG 4" NETWORK WILL AIR CARTOONS ON SATURDAY MORNING!
 
crainbebo said:
Of course, these are all wild predictions, and we'll just have to see what happens:

- Several more PBS stations (especially in the red states that don't agree with their programming) will go "educational independent," ala what KCET used to be. I predict OETA will be one of them, and perhaps Wyoming PBS, Idaho PBS, and a couple of Texas stations (in deeper-red areas). This will continue to be a trend given the Trump administration's stance on public television programming, especially their news and documentary output.

- Jimmy Kimmel's show ends by next summer, leaving Fallon and Meyers as the sole weeknight late-night shows on network TV (given that Colbert is on his way out in May). ABC uses the timeslot to expand Nightline to an hour in the fall.

- Several more digital cable networks cease operation (like FYI, Crime & Investigation, one of either Disney XD or Junior, NickMusic, TeenNick, etc.) due to low ratings and the majority switching to streaming. Likewise, some networks owned by WB Discovery shut down as Netflix has acquired the company.

- Beyond the Gates is canceled at CBS due to low ratings.

- Get After It (Luken) shuts down and closes its OTA subchannel networks due to low revenue.

- At least one station group experiments with AI 'anchors' or 'reporters' on their local newscasts. Probably as an experimental period with 1-2 smaller market stations. (I mean, we live in a strange timeline to begin with.)

- And the best one of all, the one likely to happen: NO "BIG 4" NETWORK WILL AIR CARTOONS ON SATURDAY MORNING!
Click to expand...
The WB networks are being spun off and won't be owned by Netflix. It won't be finalized for a year, anyway.
 
crainbebo said:
- Several more digital cable networks cease operation (like FYI, Crime & Investigation, one of either Disney XD or Junior, NickMusic, TeenNick, etc.) due to low ratings and the majority switching to streaming. Likewise, some networks owned by WB Discovery shut down as Netflix has acquired the company.
Click to expand...
A lot of cable networks are zombie channels anyway, they wouldn't be missed.
 
crainbebo said:
- Several more PBS stations (especially in the red states that don't agree with their programming) will go "educational independent," ala what KCET used to be. I predict OETA will be one of them, and perhaps Wyoming PBS, Idaho PBS, and a couple of Texas stations (in deeper-red areas). This will continue to be a trend given the Trump administration's stance on public television programming, especially their news and documentary output.
Click to expand...

I have to wonder, if enough stations did so, whether they could form some kind of consortium, kind of like a conservative red-state version of American Public Television, to share and even produce programming.
 
How about affiliation changes in some parts of the country because of the Nexstar/Tegna deal if finalized. If thats approved then Nexstar will change some of the Tegna stations as the CW because its a Nexstar owned network. Likewise Sinclair with EW Scripps some of them will flip to Scripps owned network Ion for the same reasons.
 
IM42A said:
I have to wonder, if enough stations did so, whether they could form some kind of consortium, kind of like a conservative red-state version of American Public Television, to share and even produce programming.
Click to expand...
Not with just MS, AL, AR, and a few other statewide networks. They would need at least 1/2 of the Texas PBS stations plus probably 1/2 of the Florida stations.
There's no way that KERA and KUHT will drop PBS anytime soon, likewise with WPBT. They get enough support to sustain for now.
 
crainbebo said:
Not with just MS, AL, AR, and a few other statewide networks. They would need at least 1/2 of the Texas PBS stations plus probably 1/2 of the Florida stations.
There's no way that KERA and KUHT will drop PBS anytime soon, likewise with WPBT. They get enough support to sustain for now.
Click to expand...

Depends upon how big one wants the consortium to be, and how much they could manage to produce. Individual state networks, all by themselves, very often produce quite worthwhile content that could be of national interest.

Networks in other conservative states that come to mind are Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia. I have my doubts about the first two --- in Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington are fairly liberal cities, ditto Charleston (and to some extent Columbia) in South Carolina, and there would be little appetite for dropping PBS in those places --- but as for West Virginia, it might be a possibility. WVPBS only consists of three stations, hubbed from WVPB Charleston (licensed to Huntington, formerly WMUL and later WPBY). West Virginia is about as conservative as a state gets.
 
www.learner.org

Annenberg Learner to Sunset on July 1, 2026 - Annenberg Learner

To our Learner community, Since 1981, Annenberg Learner has had the privilege of providing free educational resources to teachers, students,…
www.learner.org www.learner.org

Annenberg Learner to end in 2026. Yes it’s an end of an era because at one point Public TV Stations used to air content from them for their instructional programming shows. Given the past two decades schools from Preschool to college have put their content online for their students.
 
The average 2020s teacher is pulling up bite-sized videos from YouTube to review and introduce new concepts in math and ELA. There are numerous "raps" out there that teach kids on division, fraction, and problem-solving. BUT...one of my colleagues still shows classic Magic School Bus episodes to her class for review purposes. Her kids LOVE Magic School Bus! Hard to believe the Gen Alphas will sit still for a 25-minute animated show, but indeed they do.

That's when they aren't dealing with the constant behavior, "learned helplessness", the frequent cries of "What do I do now?", and of course--testing and testing and testing...
 
Armchair quarterbacking at it's "best". (*sigh*)

My prediction: The industry is under attack from so many directions that no one can predict what's going to happen next.
 


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