Throughout my career, I've been dismayed by the contempt some genre executives have held for fans, routinely underestimating their power to make or break a show. I've watched this repeat too many times, across too many shows, to be talking about any single one of them. Yet despite the mounting evidence over the past few years, they continue to dismiss the data, repeating the same miscalculations time and again.
But technology has rewritten the rules, and the power dynamics are shifting. Today’s fans are organized, strategic, and highly data-literate - effectively turning the platforms' own metrics against them.
As the bets get bigger and the audience grows sharper, it will be fascinating to see how this plays out.