5 Challenges the Broadcasting Industry Needs to Overcome

The alarm rings at 6am. Nothing strange here. What is unusual, however, is that by the time you crawl out of your bed, you’re already inundated with unwanted push notifications from TikTok, Instagram, X and three separate news apps. You never asked for them. But turning them off feels like turning off the world. So, you don’t do it.

Strange AI-generated videos. Fake propaganda designed to infuse geopolitical tension. Outright lies dressed as breaking news. All of it is digitally imprinted into our brains before breakfast.

In 2026, broadcasters now exist in parallel to this chaos. They are no longer the main news outlets. They are just another tab in a highly crowded browser. For broadcasters, it might feel like a doomsday scenario. Surviving it requires confronting 5 challenges – read on to learn which ones.

Audience fragmentation

In 2026, the audience is no longer homogeneous. In fact, it is migrating to streaming services and social media. This shift makes it even more challenging to address all age, social and gender groups. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or Disney Channel offer personalized on-demand content, which is much more attractive than traditional broadcasting schedules.

The younger audience gathers around YouTube and Facebook to share their interests and microcontent. 20-second TikTok reels perfectly whet the appetite of Gen Z for news and do not extend their already short attention span. 20 seconds. One headline. One short video. Not much is needed.

However, according to NBCUniversal’s research reported by the digital media publisher, the Drum, one in three Gen Z viewers feel more engaged watching interesting documentaries or films than short-form content. It’s not that they can’t focus. It’s that broadcast news isn’t earning their focus.

Deepfakes

Generative AI, which was supposed to help, became a weapon that broke trust. From December 2023 to December 2025, Reporters Without Borders tracked 100 journalists across 27 countries who were deliberately targeted. Fake AI-generated videos with poorly synchronized lips and audio impersonating real people were used to spread misinformation and manipulate public debate to spread misinformation and manipulate public debate.to spread misinformation and manipulate public debate.

Moreover, it is even more threatening. Previously, the telltale signs of a deepfake were obvious: unnatural blink, jawline or distinct eye color shades. Now, the technology has evolved. The result looks like a real person filmed by a real camera. A mere three to five seconds of audio lifted from a YouTube clip or a podcast is now enough to generate a disturbingly convincing voice clone and patterns of intonation, emotion and pacing.

The massive outbreak of deepfakes reduces the credibility of a brand and results in audience churn. It’s sad because public news outlets were once the most credible source of information.

Infrastructure

For decades, broadcasters sent their signal the same way: up to a satellite, down to a dish, into your TV. In 2026, that model feels like history. The broadcasting industry (and broader media and entertainment industry) is moving from experimentation to full deployment of cloud-native and IP-driven, software-defined infrastructure. A major challenge is managing this transition while dealing with legacy infrastructure.

To make it possible, broadcasters must replace satellite dishes with IP-based distribution for primary linear feeds (scheduled streams of content). Hardware with cloud. IP is cheaper and more flexible, but it’s not as reliable as the old way. One internet outage. One congested network. And the signal dies.

So, broadcasters do what they always do: they run two systems. It’s a juggling act and it’s exhausting. Two different worlds running at the same time: the old one with SDI cables, satellites, scheduled news. The new one with IP, cloud and smartphone viewing. The industry uses cloud for live streaming and on-premises infrastructure for everything else. The double infrastructure is expensive. Every dollar spent maintaining the old system is a dollar not invested in the new one.

Talent shortage

When someone works in a broadcasting industry, the job is considered stable for at least 30 years. There are no major employment shifts in this sector, especially in technical positions. What does it mean in practice?

According to Imagine Communications, a trusted global broadcasting company, experienced broadcast engineers who understand SDI cables and satellite transmissions are retiring faster than replacements can be trained. In the meantime, the technology has evolved to an unprecedented level.

Young people who understand IP (Internet Protocol), cloud and software-defined workflows are working at Netflix, Amazon, TikTok or AI start-ups. The problem is the whole generation of experienced engineers is retiring at the same time. What is even worse, is that they take this knowledge of legacy systems with them. However, this know-how is not obsolete. It is necessary in implementing hybrid infrastructure models.

Budget stress

In 2026, broadcasters are trying to maneuver a financially severe landscape. Rising inflation and the relentless costs of moving to the cloud or hybrid models are squeezing the budgets even tighter.

On top of that, broadcasters feel the breath of the competitive ProAV (Professional Audiovisual) industry on their backs. ProAV and IT teams now do what only broadcasters used to do. They stream live events. They run 24/7 screens that look like TV. And they do it cheaper.

The advertising numbers tell a brutal story. According to the World Advertising Research Center, global linear TV advertising is plummeting. It is projected to drop another 11.3% in 2026, falling to $139.1 billion. Meanwhile, social video platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Meta are expected to generate approximately $400 billion in streaming advertising revenue by 2030. The money hasn’t disappeared. It has simply moved elsewhere.

To make matters worse, across Europe, many license fees for broadcasters are frozen or cut. According to Public Media Alliance, public media organizations around the world are chronically underfunded. Meanwhile, people suffer from the scarcity of time and prefer subscribing cheaper streaming services.

A digital transformation partner that gets broadcasting

The broadcasting industry has changed beyond recognition. Audiences have fragmented. Deepfakes and AI have shattered trust. Infrastructure is still caught in between two worlds holding the same truth. Talent deficit is making the transition to cloud even harder. And the money is tighter than ever.

However, not everything is lost for the broadcasting industry. Notifications still flood in. AI evoked a massive trust deficit, but people still need to trust what they are watching. There is still a chance to grab the attention with a high-quality story and to provide the truth. The truth amidst chaos of AI deepfakes and broadcasting self-appointed influencers. This is still something. It is time to spread it across the globe. Now or never.

The 6 a.m. alarm will still ring tomorrow. Will the broadcasting industry be ready to embrace these challenges?

Looking for a partner to help you overcome these and other challenges? Get in touch with our experts.

FAQ

Why is audience fragmentation such a major issue for traditional broadcasters?

Audiences are no longer homogeneous and are migrating toward social media and streaming services, which offer appealing, personalized on-demand content. Furthermore, younger generations prefer microcontent like TikTok reels, meaning traditional broadcasting is struggling to earn their focus.

How have deepfakes evolved, and what impact do they have on media credibility?

Deepfakes have evolved past obvious signs like unnatural blinking or jawlines; they now look like a real person filmed by a real camera and require only 3 to 5 seconds of audio to clone a convincing voice. Generative AI manipulation is increasing rates of audience distrust, reducing brand credibility and causing audience churn.

What makes managing the current infrastructure transition so difficult and expensive?

Broadcasters are caught between two worlds, having to run expensive dual systems simultaneously: old legacy systems (satellites, SDI cables) and new software-defined models (IP distribution, cloud). Money spent maintaining the unreliable but necessary old system is money that cannot be invested in new ones.

Why is the broadcasting industry currently facing a severe talent shortage?

A whole generation of experienced broadcast engineers who understand legacy systems is retiring all at once, taking crucial hybrid-model knowledge with them. Meanwhile, the tech-savvy younger generations who understand IP and cloud workflows prefer to work for competitors like TikTok, Netflix, or AI startups.