Engine Room

The Disruptors is Engine Room’s flagship editorial series. Strategic conversations with the people who are actually disrupting how IP is built in entertainment, media, and the creator economy – not commenting on it, not consulting on it, not theorising about it, but doing it.

We priced attention. We priced reach. We haven't yet priced participation — and that's where the value has moved. Engine Pop founder Athena Witter on why audience IP is the next asset class, what Aardman is actually doing about it, and the question the entertainment business has twelve months to answer.

At MIP London 2026, the conversation moved beyond disruption and toward design. As audiences move fluidly between streaming and social, the strategic question is no longer about visibility, but durability. This analysis explores how affinity is reshaping value creation and why IP architecture now determines long term resilience.

Digital-first creators, formats and AI are reshaping the entertainment landscape. At TellyCast 2025, Engine Pop captured a clear shift: digital is the television business. From creator studios to Light Mode™ Storytelling, a new content economy is emerging built on agility, authenticity and emotional connection.

The Edinburgh TV Festival 2025 wasn’t about revolution - it was about reckoning. Digital is no longer the add-on; it is the main stage. From Channel 4’s call to protect creative ecosystems to Shonda Rhimes’ reminder that storytelling reflects organisational power, the Festival made clear what’s at stake. For Engine Pop, having worked inside and alongside these shifts for years, the message was simple: survival now depends on strategy, bravery, and foresight.

The tactics behind today’s biggest digital hits aren’t new. They were perfected in entertainment TV. From Britain’s Got Talent’s golden buzzer to Love Island’s audience voting, these formats mastered engagement long before TikTok. At Engine Pop, we’ve worked on both sides, TV and digital giving us the insight to help brands adapt proven entertainment principles into IP that wins across every platform.