Shift to premium TV will benefit brands, says Time Warner chief

Cannes: The future of TV will be more consumers paying a premium for quality content, according to Time Warner chief executive Jeffrey Bewkes.

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Bewkes, who was speaking on panel at the Cannes Lions, said: “”There is a huge migration of talent from the big screen to the small. This means there is lots of targeted, bold programming being made.”

He adds: “The web and TV as businesses are merging. TV as a medium is getting more powerful. There will be a powerful opportunity for commercial messages in those environments – for more interesting brand messages.”

The panel also featured presenter Piers Morgan and television/film writers David Simon and Aaron Sorkin. Simon is famed for his work on cult series The Wire while Sorkin is renowned for The West Wing and The Social Network.

Simon said: “We have to fight for the value of content and improve it.”

Morgan added: “If David Simon and Aaron Sorkin got together to write a new three-part drama and charged $20 for it, I bet you would all buy it – and you would all have a device on you right now to watch it on.”