5 Areas Media Companies Should Prioritize in 2026

Continued economic development in emerging markets, coupled with increased consumer spending on entertainment and greater internet accessibility (largely through smartphones) is driving media market growth. With revenue in the media market projected to grow by 8% year on year to 2029 there are lots of opportunities for companies to claim their share of the pie. While TV and video are still king(s), the increasing importance of digital platforms will continue at pace. Read on to see which areas should be at the top of media and entertainment companies’ to do lists.

1. Moving away from monolithic systems

In 2026, the monolithic media platform is a liability. For one thing, since components are bound closely together, a bug in one part could cripple the entire system. Along with this risk to operations, there is also the issue of scaling. Again, since the entire platform is tied together, scaling one aspect alone is not possible – the entire platform must be scaled. Obviously, this increases deployment time and pushes back releases.

That’s why media companies are shifting toward microservices, API-first, cloud-native, headless (MACH) architectures to ensure that their infrastructure can evolve in line with market demands and audience expectations. By turning to independent components that communicate through secure interfaces and operate in the cloud, companies can easily exchange and upgrade features and functionalities without disrupting the entire infrastructure. Additionally, by separating the frontend from the backend and standardizing how legacy on-prem repositories are wrapped in APIs, companies can finally achieve a “single source of truth.” This isn’t just about cloud migration; it’s about using multilingual retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to ensure a producer in New York and an editor in LA can search and utilize the same archive.

2. Implementing zero trust security measures

As deepfakes saturate the web, the value of authenticity is rising. Media companies must move beyond basic firewalls to a zero-trust architecture that treats every asset as a potential security risk. By implementing blockchain-based content provenance, engineers can use decentralized blockchain ledgers to keep track of and confirm the history of digital content (including origin and ownership). Not only does this help prove authorship and safeguard intellectual property; it empowers audiences to tell the difference between real and fake content. Importantly, once data is recorded on blockchain, it can’t be modified or removed, so content history is authentic, verified and transparent.

3. Boosting monetization via real-time signal detection

The age of third-party cookies is over. Now, it’s about first-party behavioral data, combined with contextual AI. This post-cookie era means companies need to shift from “who is watching” to “what is happening on screen.” That’s why media companies are building an interoperable signal layer that enables disparate systems to share, interpret and act on information. By engineering low-latency pipelines that detect real-time “brand cues”, like the mood of a scene or a cultural landmark; infrastructure can trigger hyper-relevant ad-tech signals instantly. This drives monetization strategies that feel local, which increases the value of every ad impression. Of course, a balance between privacy and precision is needed, as privacy laws (like GDPR) need to be complied with.

4. Operationalizing green engineering & sustainability

Companies no longer need to choose between a healthy bottom line and reducing risks to human health. Green engineering, which refers to the development of products and services that are commercially viable and environmentally friendly, is becoming increasingly common. In large part, that’s because of new AI capabilities. That said, the carbon footprint produced by AI is still an issue that needs to be dealt with. In 2026, media companies must audit their backend code for energy optimization and adopt carbon-aware scheduling for heavy rendering tasks. By generating “green metadata,” companies can comply with global ESG regulations, while lowering their cloud overhead.

5. Democratizing AI with human-in-the-loop workflows

The biggest bottleneck in 2026 won’t come from an AI model, it’ll come from workflows. To scale, media companies must bridge the gap between complex engineering and creative execution through low-code/no-code internal tools. By building interfaces that allow non-technical staff to trigger multi-factor localization or AI-assisted content variants, you remove the “IT ticket” friction. This approach ensures that AI augments creative talent and speeds up time-to-market for global campaigns. Content editors can also initiate AI tasks like upscaling, multi-factor localization and instant ad-variant generation without the need of a developer.

Establishing an ecosystem that drives your strategy

Given the dynamic changes occurring in media and entertainment, it’s understandable that media companies are looking to partner with organizations that can deliver technical expertise and domain knowledge. That’s why companies across the media spectrum turn to Software Mind. Whether AI-driven production capabilities, AdTech, over-the-top (OTT) and connected TV, platform transformation and digital advisory, Software Mind experts provide tailored support that scales with changing business needs. Want to learn how our team can help you achieve your business and technical goals? Get in touch here.

FAQ

Why are media companies moving to microservices?

So their infrastructures can evolve in line with market demands and audience expectations. By turning to independent components that can communicate through secure interfaces and operate in the cloud, companies can easily exchange and upgrade features and functionalities without disrupting the entire infrastructure.

What does zero trust security refer to?

A security framework that encourages users to ‘never trust, always verify’. Zero trust requires ongoing authentication and authorization of devices and applications from users.

What is an Interoperable Signal Layer?

An interoperable signal layer is a piece of software that connects different systems and enables the exchange and processing of data. Moreover, it can also make decision and take actions based on the data it receives. For media companies, it creates a single point of entry for information sharing.