A WHOLE NEW WORLD
TRAD MEDIA & CREATORS COLLIDE
Happy Groundhog Day Peaceniks!
To celebrate February, here’s a brand new Media Universe Map: entirely redrawn and reordered this month.
SEE HOW DIFFERENT THIS VERSION IS FROM MAPS PAST - HERE.
This revamped visualization intends to reflect a new world order taking shape in Media:
This the first version of the universe where Alphabet is larger than Apple. They have swapped positions to put Alphabet on top. Google is at its all-time high valuation IRL and on the map.
Beyond scale, the formation better reflects Meta & Google’s dominance in the global ad market.
This is the first map that includes Oracle and its relationship to its widening Media holdings.
Paramount now finds itself swimming in tech, the source of its financing.
This is Netflix’s 52-week low valuation: largely due to its proximity (literally & figuratively) to WBD aka Disco Bros.
Comcast and Versant are free of each other. Versant now drifts with many other free-floating planets likely destined for consolidation.
This is Samsung’s all time high valuation and they help give OEMs a more central placement.
Walmart is a trillion-dollar player - with its own OEM and a fast-growing Retail Media platform - now grouped with its main competition, Amazon.
From the shape to the planetary arrangement, MUCH MORE has changed on this newly designed map. What do you see? Put any of your questions or suggestions (or corrections) in the comments!
Since my first visualization dropped, I always intended the Media Universe Map to portray how Tech and Media have merged. With this wholly reshaped universe, I hope to chart the collision of two different models - the Creator Economy and Traditional Media - and how that mash-up affects the trajectory of our entire industry.
This melding of Mainstream and Creator Media ecosystems is driven by consumers. They see only one “content universe” when they turn on their screens: The one where Creators and Hollywood coexist, across all platforms, at their fingertips.
But do not just take my word for it!
Recently, I spoke with the one and only Alan Wolk, Roku’s Head of Ad Sales Marketing Sarah Harms, and Horizon Media’s Futures Chief Michele Donati about: HOW TV & CREATORS COLLIDE IN 2026
This is part of a new series I co-produced with Roku, highlighting FIVE PREDICTIONS FOR 2026. The episode above tackles the big concept of Creators and Trad Media colliding and combining.
In this episode I ask Alan Wolk from TVREV for his take on FIVE BIG IDEAS SHAPING 2026.
And in this chapter, I ask Sarah Harms, from Roku, who actually authored the report that inspired this series, why she feels these FIVE THEMES WILL DRIVE 2026.
In the comments section or somewhere IRL, I hope to see you soon!
Enjoy the week!
ESHAP