The Impact of Digital Transformation on Traditional Media

Amid the relentless rise of algorithmic platforms and on-demand cultures, traditional media confront simultaneous erosion of their audiences, advertisers, and century-old business architectures. This paper interrogates that crisis through a systematic review of current scholarship and market evidence, tracing how user migration to personalised social video (e.g., TikTok) and subscription streaming has accelerated after COVID-19, and how targeted, data-rich digital advertising has drained legacy revenue pools. Against this backdrop, the study distils best-practice responses from incumbent giantsDisneys vertically integrated streaming stack built on Fox assets and original IP, Warner Bros. hybrid HBO Max strategy balancing exclusivity and syndication, and transnational experiments in cultural adaptation across Chinas mobile-first entertainment economy. Four strategic imperatives emerge: (1) re-platforming content via proprietary or partnered streaming channels; (2) co-financing and co-producing originals with global platforms to share risk and reach; (3) deploying AI recommendation engines, VR/AR immersion, and voice interfaces to deepen engagement; and (4) granular localisation of narratives, formats, and pricing to unlock emerging-market middle-class demand. These moves, however, must negotiate entrenched cultural preferences and ferocious local competition. The paper concludes that survival is contingent on treating digital transformation not as an episodic upgrade but as an open-ended process of technological, organisational, and cultural reinvention.