Industry – Communications, Media
and Technology

Reinvent for growth: The signals shaping media’s next chapter

Authors: John Peters, Stuart Green, Giovanni Francesco (Gianfranco) Sorace, Neeraj S. Sharma, Geoff Pangman, Mark Flynn, Swati Vyas, Samyukta Mallapragada
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: February 2026

The media industry is at an inflection point. While a handful of players have made bold structural moves, many transformation efforts remain incremental—just as consumer behaviors, industry economics, and disruptive technologies continue to shift at speed.

To better understand what’s changing and what it means for growth, Accenture analyzed insights from its global consumer research alongside a first-of-its-kind survey of media executives across the value chain. What emerged was a set of clear signals—revealing where value is expanding, where legacy approaches are under strain, and where leaders are struggling to translate ambition into action.

These Signals that Matter are not predictions. They are evidence-based indicators of how the industry is already evolving—and where momentum is building next.


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Reinvent for growth: The signals shaping media’s next chapter

The media industry is at an inflection point. While a handful of players have made bold structural...

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Artificial Intelligence in Media, Entertainment and Sport
Transformation of Industries in the Age of AI

Author: Francesco Venturini, Kathryn White Krumpholz, Matteo Orsenigo, Swati Vyas
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: January 2025

Gen AI is profoundly transforming the media, entertainment and sport industry by accelerating content creation, enhancing personalization and reshaping monetization strategies. Our research in collaboration with AI Governance Alliance and The
World Economic Forum shows that the key challenge lies in managing risks around misinformation, IP rights, workforce disruption and data governance. Adoption is growing fast— 92% of creators report using genAI in some capacity, up from 34% in late 2023—yet 90% feel they aren’t using it to its full potential. Gen AI can boost creative productivity by 25% and reduce editors’ work time by 72%. To unlock its full value, the report recommends ethical frameworks, robust infrastructure and multistakeholder collaboration that ensures responsible, inclusive and scalable adoption.

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Artificial Intelligence in Media, Entertainment and Sport

Gen AI is profoundly transforming the media, entertainment and sport industry by accelerating content creation, enhancing...

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From data debt to enterprise intelligence

Authors: Francesco Venturini, Boris Maurer, Davide Bellini, Marco Grigoletti, Mathangi Sandilya, Andrew Lanktree, Swati Vyas, Andrea Orlando
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: August 2025

Telcos entered the AI era believing years of cloud, data and platform investment had prepared them for reinvention. Yet beneath that ambition sits data debt: fragmented, low-quality information that leaves nearly 80% not ready to become data-first, AI-driven businesses, while data teams spend 62% of their time cleaning instead of analyzing. The tension is rising because 84% of enterprise executives still see telcos as key gen AI partners. The breakthrough, the report argues, is to treat data as a strategic asset, build AI-native fabric-and-mesh architectures and use gen AI itself to automate metadata, improve quality and unlock faster growth enterprise-wide.

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From data debt to enterprise intelligence

Telcos entered the AI era believing years of cloud, data and platform investment had prepared them for reinvention. Yet beneath that ambition sits data debt...

more

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Artificial Intelligence in Telecommunications
Transformation of Industries in the Age of AI

Author: Bark Valkhof, Francesco Venturini
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: February 2025

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Accenture, warns that telecommunications is at an inflection point. Revenues have stagnated, with global growth forecast at just 0.3% CAGR from 2024–27, while network operations may consume 50% of operating expenses by 2027. Yet AI adoption is accelerating, with 66% of telco AI professionals increasing budgets in 2024 and 90% piloting or deploying solutions. AI and gen AI can cut costs via network automation, unlock new revenues through AI-as-a-service and improve customer experience. This is vital as 70% of customers remain frustrated by inconsistent service. Success requires cohesive data foundations, talent strategies and public-private collaboration for responsible, scalable adoption.

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Artificial Intelligence in Telecommunications

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Accenture, warns that telecommunications is at an inflection point. Revenues have stagnated, with global...

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Becoming the AI-powered ad platform of choice

Authors: Kevan Yalowitz, Stephanie Gorski, Paul Johnson, Alex Horvitz
Research lead: Paul Johnson
Published: December 2024

How can ad platforms capture more of the $750 billion digital advertising market amid intensifying competition and rising buyer expectations? By tapping gen AI to streamline workflows across the ad buying process, ad platforms are empowering buyers to maximize their return on ad spend. Advertisers are looking for help improving seven key workflows: communications strategy and market research; content and creative strategy; creative design and production; campaign execution; media planning; performance tracking and optimization; and administrative processes. While advertising has long been considered a cost center, it is increasingly seen as a key performance lever and powerful enabler of a purpose-driven enterprise. As a result, ad platforms are being held accountable for the financial outcomes of every ad dollar spent on them.

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Becoming the AI-powered ad platform of choice

How can ad platforms capture more of the $750 billion digital advertising market amid intensifying competition and rising buyer...

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A renaissance for connectivity
How telcos can create new value in the AI economy

Authors: Francesco Venturini, Boris Maurer, Astha Bhardwaj
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: July 2025

Telcos stand at a once-in-a-decade inflection point as enterprises race to embed AI across operations. In our survey of 1,200+ leaders, 73% rank telcos among their top three providers for integrated B2B solutions, with 81% preferring them for sovereign AI adoption and 70% for AI-ready data centers. Yet nearly half of enterprises are dissatisfied with current telco offerings, citing gaps in connectivity, portfolios and execution. To seize the AI economy, telcos must transform from bandwidth providers into platform orchestrators. They should build integrated connectivity-cloud-edge-AI infrastructure, adopt outcome-based business models and reshape talent and operations to deliver enterprise-grade intelligence at scale.

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A renaissance for connectivity

Telcos stand at a once-in-a-decade inflection point as enterprises race to embed AI across operations. In our survey of 1,200+ ...

more

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The Strategic Role of Telecom Providers Across the AI Value Chain

Author: Boris Maurer
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: March 2026

Telecommunications companies (telcos) stand at a structural inflection point. While enabling the digital economy, telcos have only captured a fraction of the value. Artificial intelligence (AI) and geopolitical forces now drive a reallocation of where data, compute and trust sit – and with that, a redefinition of telcos’ relevance.

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The Strategic Role of Telecom Providers Across the AI Value Chain

Telecommunications companies (telcos) stand at a structural inflection point. While enabling the digital economy, telcos have only captured...

more

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As a service, at your service
Reinventing the high tech company of tomorrow with as-a-service models

Authors: Deborah Garand, John Goble, Ashton Daily, Deepa Vivekanandan, Matthew J. Haggerty
Research lead: Matthew J. Haggerty
Published: October 2024

High tech companies are shifting from product-led models to subscription-based as-a-service structures, aiming to boost annual recurring revenue (ARR). Investors favor businesses with substantial recurring revenue, rewarding them with a 3x to 4x increase in enterprise value. However, outdated legacy systems often hinder this transformation and the achievement of ARR goals. Our research shows that only half of high tech executives believe they can meet their ARR targets. To succeed, high tech executives must adopt a customer-centric approach. Accenture identified four key actions for companies to enhance their as-a-service offerings and meet ARR goals.

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As a service, at your service

High tech companies are shifting from product-led models to subscription-based as-a-service structures, aiming to boost annual recurring revenue (ARR). Investors...

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From lead to cash: Simplify and scale with revenue ops

Authors: Prem Ananthakrishnan, Christian Kelly, Paul Johnson
Research lead: Paul Johnson
Published: January 2025

Only 6% of software and technology companies have reached a scaling level of RevOps maturity even as 75% of high-growth companies are expected to adopt the RevOps model by 2026. Progress is slow because teams remain siloed, data is often unreliable and leadership support tends to be inconsistent. We introduce a RevOps Maturity Framework that evaluates how well companies are advancing across the core pillars of people, process and technology. With clearer roles, betterintegrated systems and smarter use of AI, businesses can simplify operations and accelerate the lead-to-cash cycle, unlocking stronger performance and real, sustained growth.

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From lead to cash: Simplify and scale with revenue ops

Only 6% of software and technology companies have reached a scaling level of RevOps maturity even as 75% of high-growth...

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Embracing the loyalty equation
How telcos can reimagine experience and engagement to grow B2C

Authors: lfonso G. Imbroda, Astha Bhardwaj, Uma Parvathy, Swati Vyas, Andrea Orlando
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: January 2025

Telcos are ranked among the most trusted industries for data security, but they struggle to convert trust into lasting consumer loyalty. With B2C growth stagnating, the report urges operators to rethink loyalty as a dynamic equation: trust + experience + engagement. Only one-third of customers remain loyal for five years or more and 70% are frustrated by inconsistent service across channels. To close the gap, telcos must deploy AI to personalize experiences, integrate relevant digital services and act as trusted advisors. The goal is not just retention but also deeper, daily relevance that boosts margins, reduces churn and repositions telcos as digital lifestyle orchestrators.

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Embracing the loyalty equation

Telcos are ranked among the most trusted industries for data security, but they struggle to convert trust into lasting consumer loyalty. With B2C growth...

more

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The Strategic Role of Telecom Providers Across the AI Value Chain

Author: Boris Maurer
Research lead: Swati Vyas
Published: March 2026

Telecommunications companies (telcos) stand at a structural inflection point. While enabling the digital economy, telcos have only captured a fraction of the value. Artificial intelligence (AI) and geopolitical forces now drive a reallocation of where data, compute and trust sit – and with that, a redefinition of telcos’ relevance.

Read full report

The Strategic Role of Telecom Providers Across the AI Value Chain

Telecommunications companies (telcos) stand at a structural inflection point. While enabling the digital economy, telcos have only captured...

more

Read Report

As a service, at your service
Reinventing the high tech company of tomorrow with as-a-service models

Authors: Deborah Garand, John Goble, Ashton Daily, Deepa Vivekanandan, Matthew J. Haggerty
Research lead: Matthew J. Haggerty
Published: October 2024

High tech companies are shifting from product-led models to subscription-based as-a-service structures, aiming to boost annual recurring revenue (ARR). Investors favor businesses with substantial recurring revenue, rewarding them with a 3x to 4x increase in enterprise value. However, outdated legacy systems often hinder this transformation and the achievement of ARR goals. Our research shows that only half of high tech executives believe they can meet their ARR targets. To succeed, high tech executives must adopt a customer-centric approach. Accenture identified four key actions for companies to enhance their as-a-service offerings and meet ARR goals.

Read full report

As a service, at your service

High tech companies are shifting from product-led models to subscription-based as-a-service structures, aiming to boost annual recurring revenue (ARR). Investors...

more

Read Report