Value in Media is an ongoing exploration of how production, distribution and consumption are changing in the media and entertainment industry.

The starting assumption for the initiative is that technology has fundamentally altered the type of content that people engage with and pay for, and that this is true for all media categories. Sometimes this manifests itself in similar ways - for example, a general trend towards direct-to-consumer distribution models - but often, the changes are unique to the category itself. For instance, the quasi-editorial influence that technology has had on news and audio production.

In addition to exploring how people's attitudes and willingness to consume and pay for content are evolving, Value in Media also tries to identify the new business models that will be borne from continued integration of technology into each media category's value chain. With this approach in mind, the initiative convenes leaders from different sectors to discuss what future states are possible within categories, and determine the changes needed to achieve them.

The work has a particular focus on so-called "ecosystem media" - companies that use media as a strategic asset to access and monetize more lucrative parts of their businesses. These enterprises are highly effective at combining technology and content to expand business models, drive down marginal costs, increase personalization and engagement, widen methods of access, and create new media formats entirely.

Value in Media began with an in-depth study of consumer behaviour, publishing research on little-explored markets such as India and China, together with Nielsen.

Since then, the project has engaged World Economic Forum constituents to develop sectoral analyses on sports, gaming, music, advertising and film. Updates will be shared below on a continuous basis.