The next era of entertainment is sub-fandom

A decade ago, success in media meant capturing the largest possible audience. Today, it increasingly comes from serving the superfans. But a deeper shift is underway. The most engaged audiences are no longer centered around the original franchise—they’re centered around specific moments, characters, or interpretations of it. Sub-fandoms are already driving more engagement than the source material itself. We see this across entertainment, from viral clips to gaming, where watching others play has become as big as—or bigger than—playing the game itself. However, the content cycle hasn’t caught up to this change. Studios release major films every few years, or games every five to seven years, leaving long gaps between moments of engagement. This creates a disconnect: Audiences want constant, personalized interaction, but franchises are built around infrequent, high-cost releases. To bridge this gap and keep sub-fandoms thriving, studios must find ways to foster continuous micro-engagements with fans. This is where generative AI steps in. It is now easy for intellectual property (IP) holders to develop touchpoints with their fans outside of traditional releases. This gives their audiences new ways to personalize their experience of interacting with their favorite franchises. For IP holders and idea generators, the question has moved from “What content should we make?” to “What tools should we give our audience to nurture their own sub-fandoms?” The real opportunity is in giving people the tools to build their own stories. WHY SUB-FANDOMS NOW OUTPERFORM ORIGINAL FRANCHISES Traditionally, fandom centered around a piece of content: a show, film, artist, or creator, and was largely anchored to the original narrative. But sub-fandoms operate differently. They focus on a specific slice of that universe. It might be a relationship between two characters, an alternate version of what happens after the story ends, or a reimagining of a side character that was never fully explore