As South Africa celebrates 50 years of broadcast in 2026, we're rapidly becoming one of the most dynamic markets in the world, with mobile-savvy viewers who are quick to experiment and even quicker to adopt new habits. And while the year has barely kicked off, we're already seeing shifts in how people watch and the way platforms respond, off the back of some key landscape developments from the past few months.

Here are six shifts you can expect to see across the streaming landscape in 2026.

AI Will Bring Fan-Made Content Into the Mainstream

The biggest trend this year starts with a simple idea: viewers aren't just watching anymore; they're creating. They're making fan videos and recreations, playing with and remixing their favourite shows and characters. The next step? Fan-made, AI-assisted content going mainstream.

Disney's partnership with OpenAI shows how seriously streamers are starting to treat this shift, with the studio calling it a move toward "new possibilities in imaginative storytelling". The challenge for these legacy brands will be walking the tightrope between protecting their intellectual property and giving fans free rein.

Short and Vertical Formats Will Take Over the In-Between Moments

As our attention spans become shorter and shorter, the days of hour-long episodes might be over, because sometimes, you just want to finish your story while in the taxi or on a break. That's why short and vertical formats, such as phone-native videos built for quick viewing, are gaining ground. These formats work because they're fast, addictive and deliver an instant hit of dopamine-fuelling entertainment.

This doesn't mean that long-form viewing is over — especially those must-watch shows that set the WhatsApp group on fire. But viewers increasingly want both slow and fast viewing to fit their mood and diary, and the streamers that serve both will be the ones audiences return to.

Streaming Platforms Will Continue to Consolidate

After years of non-stop growth and expansion, the streaming universe is starting to streamline and mature. Companies are consolidating and looking for better ways to grow audiences and revenue, with bundle deals, shared platforms and content partnerships offering viewers more bang for their buck. In South Africa, we're seeing partnerships as well as mergers, especially when it comes to billing. This makes subscriptions easier to manage and gives the streamers who make it easy for their viewers a competitive edge.

Streamers Will Aggressively Enter the Live Sports Arena

If there is one thing that pulls in live viewers, it's sport — and up until recently, it's been the edge that traditional Television has held over streaming. This year, streamers are going to get into the action in a big way. Netflix is moving into live sports, including coverage of events such as the Africa Cup of Nations. Showmax has bagged the English Premier League. Disney is streaming ESPN channels.

All hoping to hook loyal and loud sport fans, who watch together, comment in real time and keep talking and debating long after the final whistle. By stepping into this space, streamers gain access to an audience that shows up consistently and spends generously. This year, viewers can expect more sports rights deals, as well as the kind of around-the-game content fans love, such as the build-up, behind-the-scenes moments and post-match analysis.

Live Stream Will Go Mainstream

Who would've thought that watching someone else play a video game would be such a lucrative and fast-growing format in entertainment? Live streaming has shot out of niche viewing straight into the mainstream. YouTube Live, Twitch and TikTok Live have normalised real-time broadcasting, including musicians doing live studio sessions, sport watch-alongs and lifestyle creators doing Q&As in real-time. For brands, it offers a space where audiences show up primed to engage and interact.

CTV Will Finally Take a Decent Chunk of the Television Budget

Connected TV (CTV) has moved from taking a smaller, experimental part of the media spend pie to something brands now budget for in a serious way, with research from Kantar showing strong gains in purchase intent linked to the medium. Covering any television that streams via apps — whether that's a smart television or a screen connected to a PlayStation, Chromecast or Apple TV — CTV is how many households watch their shows today.

CTV combines the impact of traditional television with the accuracy of digital targeting, which matters in a market where people hop between streaming apps but still gather around the main screen at home. That's why CTV is becoming the place that brands are directing more and more of their TV spend to — and no longer just what is left over from the digital bucket.

For more information, visit www.reachafrica.com. 

*Image courtesy of contributor