This is something we discussed after Tucker Carlson left (was shown the door) at FoxNews. Now we have sports host Pat McAfee doubling down and proving the point.
For those who do not follow sports, McAfee is the highest paid on-air talent at ESPN. He did not make his name there. He became a star on YouTube along with some other alternative platforms. In other words, he did not work his way up through the traditional broadcasting ranks.
His popularity on YouTube was enough for ESPN to hand him the highest average annual salary at the network. This tops all other on-air talent.
Many question whether the marriage would work. The ratings for this show have not been what the network was looking for.
Here is where trouble entered paradise.
Working For A Rat
McAfree took to the air the other day and blasted one of the executives at the network. He called this person a rat for, according to McAfee, leaking numbers that put a negative spin on his show. This stems from the belief this individual is trying to sabotage McAfee's show.
Whether that is the case or not means nothing. What is interesting is the reaction. In the past, it someone took to the air and called out his or her boss, there would be trouble. So what kind of punishment would McAfee receive?
The answer stunned people.
ESPN actually took his side. The claim is the network was supporting the show and happy with the progress being made. McAfee is looked at as the future, a point he repeatedly made.
To add to the fire, he did not let the fight go. Once again, when on air, he blasted this same individual. Then he took pics with that guy's boss at the game he was doing.
All of this has people baffled.
The Talent Has The Power
Rupert Murdoch played the same playbook on Tucker Carlson as he did on a plethora of other on-air personalities. Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck are two who were pushed out. They since have gone on to develop their own media entities online.
Tucker Carlson is in the process of doing the same thing. After broadcasting his "show" on Twitter (X), he is now in the process of setting something up for himself. Stephen A. Smith, the previous king at ESPN, is following in their path, preparing for when his contract comes due next year.
Since Carlson left, the cable news ratings for Fox are in the toilet. This is actually across the board since the personalities that made these networks are either gone or getting older. There is also a demographic issues these they are battling.
Murdock's playbook is now dead. For years, he felt that nobody was bigger than the network and, perhaps, he was correct. The same was true at ESPN. Many were given their pink slip, something that was catastrophic in the past.
This is no longer the case. When it comes to sports journalism, in addition to doing one's own thing, there is the potential to head to other networks. This was not the case 10 years ago.
Web 3.0 is only going to add to this nightmare. Technology is lowering the barrier to entry. We already saw the shift in content distribution due to the Internet. Now we are seeing more powerful tools for content creation.
All of this is changing the game.
Millions Of Media Companies
In the future, we are going to see millions of media companies. While most of these are going to be very small, focusing upon a niche, they will still draw some attention. Collectively, this is going to be a massive hill for these broadcast networks to navigate. How do you target an enemy when you cannot even identify who it is.
The next Pat McAfee is out there, amassing more YouTube followers and ready to lay a hurt on some mainstream network.
This could be in sports, or a completely different field. In fact, it is likely there are some personalities developing in most areas. This is not going to be just a handful of people showing up.
What changes everything is the monetization. By producing content that delivers the message in a manner that is sufficient for the viewer, these people have the ability to compete for eyeballs. After all, how often do you want a clip of a mainstream telecast on YouTube? It is more likely one is tuning in to the channels he or she prefers.
Everyone Is A Media ompany
The people mentioned in this article have transitioned. They are no longer content creators or even brands. Instead, they are now operating businesses. Their goal is to monetize what they are doing, even if this means establishing their own platforms.
Companies are much different than brands. Sure, there is overlap. However, the approach is on a larger scale. Each person mentioned here could have additional talent. This is what Valuetainment has done. That is a well established online media entity that is worth a small fortune.
It is also the model to follow.
With Web 3.0, the advantage is we are able to enjoy the collective growth of the networks (blockchain) we are tied to. YouTube is an abyss of videos, making it very difficult to stand out. The next generation of media is going to be more focused, niched, and have built in users.
In the meantime, the likes of Pat McAfee are going to keep proving the point: the talent has the power.
That is the first phase of the transition.
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