Measures the Change-Response Gap: how fast industries are changing versus how fast companies are responding. 50 means they are even. Higher means the gap is wider.
October 2026: Media & Entertainment scores 66 (Significant Gap), with a Change Score of 72 and a Response Score of 40. Fortune reported that eight major streaming services now cost a combined $139 a month. A layoff tracker counted 11,306 media job cuts so far in 2026, and IGN, the games and entertainment news site, cut staff in mid-September. OpenAI signed its first Canadian news deal, with Village Media.
Media & Entertainment companies are keeping up with about 55% of the change. Evidence: Thin (4 sources).
History: May 67 · Jun 67 · Jul 68 · Aug 62 · Sep 66 · Oct 66
Fortune reported on September 9 that eight major streaming platforms now cost a combined $139 a month for U.S. subscribers (Fortune). The total follows repeated price increases in 2026. Last month, August set a record for the box office, at $4.645 billion worldwide (Screendollars). Audiences pay for big events but face a growing monthly bill at home.
LayoffHedge, a layoff tracker, counted 25 media and entertainment companies that had announced 2026 layoffs totaling 11,306 jobs as of September 11 (LayoffHedge). IGN cut staff in mid-September (Media & Entertainment News Articles). Last month, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm, counted 4,428 media cuts through July (Challenger, Gray & Christmas). The two trackers use different methods, so their totals are not directly comparable.
The ledger holds no new in-window money evidence for media this month. Last month, on August 10, Fox, the broadcaster, gave the Justice Department more time to review its $22 billion purchase of Roku, the streaming platform (PYMNTS). Paramount, the studio and streaming company, said on August 4 that it would pay about $650 million a quarter in fees if its Warner Bros. Discovery deal slips past September 30. Those are the latest deal figures on record.
The ledger holds no new in-window rule or court evidence for media this month. Last month, the EU AI Act's transparency rules took effect on August 2 (Al Jazeera). On August 26, Iowa and Montana asked the US Supreme Court to halt the states' lawsuit against the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger (PYMNTS). That case goes to trial in March 2027.
The ledger holds no new in-window evidence on creative worker or audience attitudes toward AI this month. Last month, on August 25, Judge Amit Mehta said the way Google's AI summaries use publishers' work "all seems really unfair" (Search Engine Journal). On August 26, SAG-AFTRA, the performers union, joined talent agencies in a statement against unauthorized AI use of performers (SAG-AFTRA).
IGN's mid-September layoffs came as part of a shift from corporate digital media toward decentralized creators, according to a news-site account (Media & Entertainment News Articles). The same account says ad-supported revenue models eroded across California media outlets. OpenAI struck its first Canadian news deal on September 15, with Village Media, a local news network (Axios). Last month, OpenAI said its models reach more than 1 billion active users (BNN Bloomberg).
The ledger holds no in-window earnings call evidence for media companies this month. Last month, on August 5, Disney said its internal AI tool J.A.R.V.I.S. is used by more than 2,000 Imagineers, its theme park designers. That figure comes from Disney's own shareholder letter. Warner Bros. Discovery did not mention AI in its August call summary (MarketBeat).
The ledger holds no in-window evidence of AI hiring at media companies this month. IGN cut staff in mid-September (Media & Entertainment News Articles). Last month, Disney offered early retirement to US directors and above on August 24 (Quartz). No major media company announced an AI hiring program in August.
The ledger holds no new in-window capital evidence for media companies this month. Last month, Fox committed $22 billion to buy Roku and gave the Justice Department more time to review it (PYMNTS). Disney said in its shareholder letter that it raised its buyback plan to at least $9 billion. Those are the latest figures on record.
OpenAI and Village Media, a Canadian local news network, launched Open Door on September 15 (Axios). Open Door is an AI-powered community health and services navigation platform. Village Media will own and operate it. Last month, Suno, the AI music company, signed a global licensing deal with BMG, the music publisher, on August 12 (Music Business Worldwide).
The ledger holds no direct in-window measure of media response speed this month. Last month, Disney had taken four cost actions in eight months, according to Quartz (Quartz). Fox's Roku deal, announced June 15, is not expected to close until the first half of 2027. Those are the latest timing readings on record.
The score of 66 reflects a Change Score of 72 and a Response Score of 40. Change leads response by 32 points. Each indicator is rated 0 to 5 in half points by two independent reviewers, and the ratings shown are their average. How we score.