How the shift from audiences to fans drives media value

The most valuable audiences behave like fans. They spend more time, engage more deeply, and are more willing to pay, making them critical to growth strategies across subscriptions, advertising, and commerce. But their behavior is increasingly fragmented, with discovery, engagement, and monetization happening across a mix of platforms that publishers don't control. New research underscores the scale of this shift, pointing to a clear opportunity: bringing fan engagement into environments where media companies can strengthen relationships and turn that activity into sustained business value.

While media companies tend to focus on periodic major events like new releases, fans want a steady stream of engagement with their favorite personalities, teams, and series across multiple platforms. Studies indicate that fans travel freely among formats in search of new content and experiences to satisfy their intrigue. The latest Digital Media Trends report by Deloitte explores how media leaders can engage fans more completely.

The explosion of streaming, gaming, and digital media has given consumers unprecedented choice, but has also splintered their attention. As competition intensifies, media companies are doubling down on subscriber retention and audience growth. Feeding fan enthusiasm is essential to that effort - because fans aren't a niche segment; they're the majority.

The value of fans

About 80% of consumers self-identify as fans, according to Deloitte's survey of 3,575 U.S. adults. That means they are enthusiasts of at least one entertainment category such as sports, TV series, films, gaming, or music.

Fans aren't just a majority - they're also extremely valuable to providers based on behavior. Fans spend almost an hour longer using media and entertainment daily than non-fans. They subscribe to more services (including gaming, music, and SVOD) - and spend more money on those services.

Demographically, fans tend to skew younger and engage more widely. They average 44 years of age (compared with 58 among non-fans). More than half (55%) of all fans, including 70% of millennial and Gen Z fans, say their fandom spurs involvement across multiple platforms, services, channels, merchandise, and events.

Lost Opportunities

While providers focus on new releases, fans often turn to social media to feed their fascination - via creators, user posts, and studio marketing. Half of fans say they discover new entertainment primarily through social media - that figure jumps to 73% of Gen Z and 68% of millennial fans. Yet this "social media first" approach isn't being fully addressed by media companies.

While fans often discover content on social platforms, they frequently consume it elsewhere, splitting monetization across different services. This disconnect leaves media leaders with little visibility into fan behavior.

Over a third of fans (36%) report relying on fan or companion podcasts to stay involved with their favorites. This means leaving the main IP. Losing fans between new releases means providers spend heavily rebuilding excitement. Providers that can nourish these scattered audiences within their own ecosystems stand to gain in ROI.

Aggregation is key

Keeping fans connected off-season starts by aggregating fan experiences. Media companies don't need to own every fan touchpoint, but they do need visibility and coordination across them. Embedding experiences like social feeds, podcasts, commerce, or games around their IP, even if powered by partners, would keep fans engaged within a single environment. Many would welcome this: about 40% (and nearly half of Gen Z and millennials) say they want all content related to their favorite IP aggregated in one place.

About a third of fans report buying merchandise related to their fandom in the last six months - a figure that increases to 37% among those who want fandom content aggregated. Fan-focused bundles could package exclusive content, products, services, and experiences into personalized subscription or membership offerings, creating new partnership and revenue opportunities.

Keeping fans within a unified ecosystem gives providers richer first-party data to personalize experiences, boost engagement, and drive revenue. With fans - especially younger ones - willing to share data for better personalization, coordinated touchpoints can turn the off-season lull into a continuous relationship.

What about AI?

Can GenAI drive further engagement without alienating users? GenAI can help media companies produce content faster, personalize experiences at scale, and connect fragmented interactions into a unified destination. Research shows that fans are increasingly open to AI-generated recaps, highlights, and personalized digests. Many fans report being open to AI-generated ads, recommendations, and co-creating content, opening the door to more interactive experiences and revenue avenues.

Almost 40% of fans say they would accept AI-created content on SVOD, social media, music services, and in video games - if it is clearly labeled. 27% of fans say they may be interested in AI-generated personalized digests about their favorite shows, and roughly a third of sports fans would be open to AI-generated custom highlight reels and commentary tailored to their teams and athletes.

But these figures reveal most consumers still have qualms. Media companies who employ GenAI in new ways to target content must develop clear terms of service around transparency and privacy. Reassurance around responsible use of GenAI is wise considering rising awareness of AI harms.

Consumers aren't the only ones worried- media companies have valid concerns about losing control of their IP with open GenAI tools. Features that let users become creators can pose a risk to brand integrity and security. Embedding features inside their own platforms - with guardrails, tracking and moderation - may help media companies foster fan creativity while still protecting rights and capturing value.

The future of fandom

Fandom has evolved into a dynamic, always-on ecosystem. For media companies, winning strategies will reflect the full spectrum of fan behavior, from discovery to community. Those that capture and sustain that engagement within their own environments will turn fragmented attention into lasting relationships and real business value.