Media and Entertainment Consulting: Strategy, Growth and Change

Short answer: what is media and entertainment consulting

Media and entertainment consulting helps companies that create, package or distribute content decide where to play, how to win and how to deliver. In practice this means support with strategy, growth, performance and change for:

• Film and television studios and networks.
• Streaming and direct to consumer platforms.
• Music labels and rights holders.
• Digital publishers and news brands.
• Gaming and interactive media businesses.
• Technology companies that work closely with media and entertainment partners.

NMS Consulting provides media and entertainment consulting focused on strategy, change and performance. Work usually sits next to, and sometimes in partnership with, specialist legal, tax, audit, production and talent experts rather than replacing them.

Why media and entertainment firms seek consulting support

Leadership teams in media and entertainment companies face a mix of creative, commercial and technical decisions. They also operate with shifting revenue models, new platforms and frequent pressure on costs and capital allocation.

Common reasons for seeking media and entertainment consulting support include:

• Deciding how to balance investment between traditional channels and digital or streaming models.
• Aligning content and rights portfolios with audience, advertiser and platform demand.
• Improving the link between data, audience understanding and day to day decisions.
• Restructuring operating models, including roles, location choices and partner use.
• Delivering change programs while protecting core output and brand strength.

Media and entertainment consulting is not a replacement for creative judgment. It is a way to bring structure and evidence to choices about where and how creative work should be focused and supported.

Typical questions from media and entertainment leaders

During media and entertainment consulting projects, senior leaders often ask questions such as:

• Which segments, formats or regions offer the best growth potential over the next few years.
• How to define an offer that feels clear and simple to viewers, listeners or readers while still allowing for depth.
• Which content and rights investments are creating value and which are tying up capital without sufficient return.
• How to improve collaboration between creative, commercial, technology and operations teams.
• How to stage change so that staff, partners and talent can adapt without losing momentum on delivery.

Media and entertainment consulting gives leadership teams a structured way to work through these questions using data, reference cases and clear decision rules.

How NMS Consulting works with media and entertainment clients

NMS Consulting focuses on strategy, change and performance for media and entertainment clients. Work is designed to fit the pace and constraints of creative and production cycles rather than copy a generic corporate pattern.

Typical features of NMS Consulting media and entertainment assignments include:

• Joint teams that mix NMS consultants with client staff from strategy, finance, commercial, product and operations.
• Clear problem statements and success measures agreed at the start of each project.
• Use of both internal data and external benchmarks, with simple visuals that can be shared across the organization.
• Practical recommendations with clear owners, timelines and milestones, followed by support during early implementation.
• Attention to change management, including communication to staff, talent and partners where relevant.

Example areas of media and entertainment consulting work

The list below gives examples of media and entertainment consulting topics that NMS Consulting may address with clients. The specific mix will always depend on the company, market and goals.

Strategy and portfolio choices

Many media and entertainment clients ask for support in refining strategy and portfolio focus. Typical work includes:

• Clarifying which parts of the media and entertainment value chain the company wants to focus on.
• Assessing growth and margin by segment, region and format.
• Deciding which activities to build, partner, acquire or exit.
• Structuring slate, catalogue or rights portfolios to match strategy and risk appetite.

Audience, pricing and commercial model

Media and entertainment consulting often covers customer and commercial questions, such as:

• Understanding audience segments, viewing or listening patterns and churn drivers.
• Testing subscription, advertising, hybrid and transaction models and the mix between them.
• Improving packaging and merchandising of content and services.
• Strengthening planning and forecasting for revenue, including scenarios and stress tests.

Operating model and performance improvement

NMS Consulting also works on the operating side of media and entertainment businesses. Example topics include:

• Designing operating models that clarify roles, decision rights and handoffs across creative, commercial and operations teams.
• Improving planning for production, marketing and release calendars.
• Reviewing cost base, investment decisions and productivity, with careful attention to creative and editorial standards.
• Supporting technology related change programs that affect content supply chains and customer experience.

Change and transformation support

Many media and entertainment consulting projects involve change that affects people, culture and ways of working. NMS Consulting helps leadership teams:

• Plan and sequence transformation programs so that core delivery continues during change.
• Build clear cases for change that staff and partners can understand.
• Align goals, incentives and performance management with the new strategy.
• Review progress against practical milestones rather than only high level statements.