Sponsored by A+E Global Media • April 22, 2025 •
In a rapidly evolving multiplatform viewing environment, audiences are changing how they find and engage with content. Many viewers increasingly gravitate toward streaming platforms or short-form content, expecting enhanced personalization beyond what traditional linear offerings provide.
In response, major players, A+E among them, have leaned into innovation while evolving their business models to stay competitive in the modern media landscape and address these challenges.
Earlier this year, A+E Networks rebranded as A+E Global Media, reflecting its transformation into a digital-first, globally focused content company. As part of this new chapter, A+E Global Media is fully embracing its pedigree: that of a media company with iconic brands and content viewed across every platform in more than 200 countries and more than 40 languages. Reflecting its new moniker, the company is further growing its global footprint while delivering original programming that emotionally resonates with audiences.
“We have been expanding what we’re doing globally, and we’ve been expanding on what we’re doing digitally — both in terms of platforms and making stories that are suited to those platforms,” said Ann McGowan, general manager of digital platforms at A+E Global Media. “The old name just didn’t reflect the evolution. The rebrand is a sign of our commitment to connecting with the consumer and delivering those compelling entertainment experiences wherever the consumer is.”
In this Q&A with McGowan, the conversation focuses on the future of content and innovation, including new audience engagement strategies and industry disruptors.
Ann McGowan: We really know our audiences — we know what they want, and we know how to tell them compelling stories. And our biggest opportunity is to bring these great elements even more deeply into the digital space and to create new and compelling experiences in digital.
As far as what the challenges are, there is a lot of competition for eyeballs. There’s a lot of fragmentation and a lot of competition in the digital space, and you have to lean into your strengths. That’s why we’re honing in on genres like history, crime and justice, the paranormal as well as the women-centered movies and series found on Lifetime.
When it comes to HISTORY, we truly own the genre from the breadth of our content to the quality of our documentaries to our longstanding relationships with world-renowned historians. This gives us the ability to deliver something no one else can. And as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, our History Honors 250 multiplatform initiative is something I’m excited about. Not only will existing fans be excited but there’s opportunity to bring in new audiences with the relaunch of History.com and our digital experiences.
In the end, we’re committed to being where our consumers are, and that’s how we see ourselves competing effectively. When you look at all our viewers together, it’s a large and diverse audience. The way we serve them best is by focusing on our areas of expertise and delivering compelling and creative storytelling in those areas.
How is A+E planning to implement more personalization and community-building strategies?
Ann McGowan: For us, it’s about learning even more about our consumers through data, analyzing consumer behavior and finding reasons they want to log in with us, so we can create personalized experiences for them. When you go to a digital experience that really is delivering what you want, that’s where you want to stay — and we want people to stay with us.
That means building in features and functionality — whether it’s surfacing relevant content or tracking where they are in programming and letting it play out — to enhance the A+E digital experience. Restructuring this digital division is about saying we’re committed and then ensuring that we’re iterating and trying new things and experiences to engage our consumers.
Advertisers want to know who they’re reaching, and we want to know how to serve them better. It’s a mutually beneficial situation.
AI is also playing a growing role in content curation and audience engagement. How is A+E integrating AI-driven solutions into its digital strategy?
Ann McGowan: I think AI is amazing, and it can be an incredible boost to both the media experience and to media companies. It has its challenges as well.
Storytelling is a human-driven experience, and that’s what makes it authentic and compelling. But that doesn’t mean that AI can’t be an incredible tool in helping us tell those stories. Part of that is making us more efficient in how we create the stories and streamlining our workflows, part of that could be sparking good ideas, and part of it is helping us create innovative solutions for our partners. So, we are looking at all of those areas.
There are some things we are using AI for now, some where we’re experimenting and some we will look at in the future. We are committed to being an entertainment experience that is authentic to the human experience, and using the tools of AI to tell the best stories possible.
Ann McGowan: I’ve been working in media for a long time, and every time you think you figured out what the disruptor is, a new one comes along. What we are focused on at A+E is trying to be as nimble as possible so that when the next disruptor arrives — and it will — we can tackle it by using it to our benefit and finding opportunities.
For me, the greatest disruptor is the unknown. We can’t plan for everything that’s going to happen. Our counter to that is that we have to be willing to try new things, to iterate, to change paths, all while staying true to that authentic storytelling that makes us who we are.
Sponsored by A+E Global Media
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