Is this a golden age for first-party content IP?

Investing.com -- As internet distribution reaches everyone, the fight for attention shifts from platforms to the stories, characters, and franchises that keep people coming back.

Global digital media usage is barely growing, meaning platforms can’t rely on expanding user bases. The scarce commodity now is differentiated content.

Once an intellectual property (IP) like a game, show, or character breaks through, it tends to stick.

The average top 20 global IP today was created 45 years ago, showing how durable hits can be.

Sony (NYSE:SONY), Nintendo, and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) has shown how successful IP can be stretched across formats and decades, compounding in value.

With many material wants met, fewer kids born, and traditional leisure habits in decline, consumers are turning to content for emotional fulfillment.

AI could flood the market with cheap, customized shows or games, but the most iconic franchises will still command premium attention.

Korean dramas and music, Japanese video games, and other Asian exports are taking bigger roles as global hits, with cost advantages over Western peers.

There could be a bidding war for evergreen IP as big platforms, sovereign wealth funds, and media giants compete for scarce franchises. Consolidation is already underway like Disney (NYSE:DIS) buying Fox, Warner with Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD), Paramount with Skydance and video gaming has seen a wave of mega-deals.

The ceiling for transmedia franchises is rising, with K-pop, anime, and games expanding into global entertainment ecosystems.

With distribution is now free and infinite, scarce, memorable content, whether Mario, Marvel, or BTS, is what drives engagement, money, and cultural power.

That makes first-party IP one of the most valuable assets in today’s media economy.