In the golden age of network TV, an ad during the Super Bowl reached 100 million people. Today, those 100 million are split across 10,000 different channels, podcasts, and streaming services. This fragmentation has made "mainstream" success rarer but "niche" profitability easier.

Nostalgia has become a driving force in popular entertainment, with reboots, remakes, and revivals of classic franchises experiencing significant success. Shows like , The Goldbergs , and Full House have leveraged nostalgia to attract large audiences, while movies like Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Halloween have rebooted classic franchises for a new generation.

A defining feature of contemporary popular media is the —the illusion of a face-to-face friendship with a media personality. While once limited to talk show hosts (Johnny Carson) or soap opera stars, the digital era has intensified this dynamic.