Future Audiences and Platforms Group

The Future Audiences and Platforms Group brings together EBU Members wishing to explore the role of public service media (PSM) in understanding and adapting to the needs of future audiences and emerging platforms. The Group investigates and discusses the possible value of emerging trends and technology for PSM with the aim to build and share knowledge that helps Members create stronger audience relationships in a digital and connected world. The key topics explored by the group includes (but are not limited to) gaming, metaverse, immersive experiences, e-sports, future media scenarios, and emerging media and audience trends.

Previously established as EBU Metaverse Group in 2022, the EBU Digital Unit proposed a new direction to expand the scope of the Metaverse Group and change its name to Future Audiences and Platforms Group in June 2023. This decision was made in response to the changing interest in metaverse as a topic in general and to move beyond limiting the objectives to exploring solely the metaverse and to expand the scope to focus on the needs of future audiences and how to connect with them.

Goals and objectives

The main goals and objectives of the Group are:

• to connect and network, exchange knowledge on future audience trends (including the metaverse), and find opportunities for collaboration; to facilitate learning and explore emerging and future media and audience trends;
• to share experiences and discuss common challenges and opportunities around future audiences-oriented projects/trends;
• to keep members informed and up-to-date about latest media/tech/digital/immersive trends and how it affects PSM, in particular the audiences;
• to build and develop lasting relationships with big tech platforms to address the needs of future audiences.