2025: the year of Italy’s boom and the rise of “creator-first” AI and niche strategies
2025 proved to be a year of consolidation rather than disruption. After a phase marked by aggressive subscriber growth and production peaks, the media industry shifted its focus toward new balances between economic sustainability, regulation, and technological innovation. On the one hand, the global race toward creators, artificial intelligence, and niche content reshaped the strategies of major media groups; on the other, Italy’s audiovisual sector strengthened its increasingly central role within the country’s creative economy and its international positioning.
In the United States, 2025 confirmed that competition is no longer limited to streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+), but increasingly between streaming services and social video platforms. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels continue to capture a growing share of audience attention and advertising investment, with close to 50% of social media spend now flowing into short-form video formats. Major U.S. media companies have reinforced “creator-first” strategies, building networks of digital talent and short-form content designed to reach younger audiences and brands seeking native, platform-specific campaigns.
At the same time, a new front has opened around rights and licensing. AI technology companies have begun signing licensing agreements with leading media groups—including News Corp, the Financial Times, and Axel Springer—to use editorial content within artificial intelligence services. While these deals create new revenue streams, they also raise tensions around copyright, the value of content libraries, and the protection of authors’ rights. As digital media continues to grow, many traditional news brands have faced significant economic pressure, with only a limited number of premium players—such as The New York Times and The Atlantic—successfully consolidating their models by combining subscriptions, live events, and high-quality editorial products.
In Italy, the data point to a year of “controlled growth.” The Seventh APA Report, presented at MIA Market, estimated the value of the Italian audiovisual industry at approximately €16.3 billion in 2024, with year-on-year growth of around 9% and an average annual growth rate of about 4.6% since 2018—more than double the national GDP growth. Within this ecosystem, linear television continues to account for roughly 52% of the market, while online video maintains double-digit growth, alongside expanding segments such as animation, documentary, and digital content.
2025 was also marked by regulatory changes. Investment obligations for streaming platforms were revised, and rules governing events of major public interest to be broadcast on free-to-air television were strengthened. These measures brought renewed attention to the balance between global platforms, independent producers, and the public interest.
Against this backdrop, Italy’s audiovisual sector presents itself to international partners—particularly in the United States—as a more structured and mature ecosystem, capable of combining industrial growth, creative excellence, and new opportunities for transatlantic collaboration.
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2025 proved to be a year of consolidation rather than disruption. After a phase marked by aggressive subscriber growth and production peaks, the media industry shifted its focus toward new balances between economic sustainability, regulation, and technological innovation. On the one hand, the global race toward creators, artificial intelligence, and niche content reshaped the strategies of major media groups; on the other, Italy’s audiovisual sector strengthened its increasingly central role within the country’s creative economy and its international positioning.
In the United States, 2025 confirmed that competition is no longer limited to streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+), but increasingly between streaming services and social video platforms. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels continue to capture a growing share of audience attention and advertising investment, with close to 50% of social media spend now flowing into short-form video formats. Major U.S. media companies have reinforced “creator-first” strategies, building networks of digital talent and short-form content designed to reach younger audiences and brands seeking native, platform-specific campaigns.
At the same time, a new front has opened around rights and licensing. AI technology companies have begun signing licensing agreements with leading media groups—including News Corp, the Financial Times, and Axel Springer—to use editorial content within artificial intelligence services. While these deals create new revenue streams, they also raise tensions around copyright, the value of content libraries, and the protection of authors’ rights. As digital media continues to grow, many traditional news brands have faced significant economic pressure, with only a limited number of premium players—such as The New York Times and The Atlantic—successfully consolidating their models by combining subscriptions, live events, and high-quality editorial products.
In Italy, the data point to a year of “controlled growth.” The Seventh APA Report, presented at MIA Market, estimated the value of the Italian audiovisual industry at approximately €16.3 billion in 2024, with year-on-year growth of around 9% and an average annual growth rate of about 4.6% since 2018—more than double the national GDP growth. Within this ecosystem, linear television continues to account for roughly 52% of the market, while online video maintains double-digit growth, alongside expanding segments such as animation, documentary, and digital content.
2025 was also marked by regulatory changes. Investment obligations for streaming platforms were revised, and rules governing events of major public interest to be broadcast on free-to-air television were strengthened. These measures brought renewed attention to the balance between global platforms, independent producers, and the public interest.
Against this backdrop, Italy’s audiovisual sector presents itself to international partners—particularly in the United States—as a more structured and mature ecosystem, capable of combining industrial growth, creative excellence, and new opportunities for transatlantic collaboration.
Share:
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