From archives to assets: Exploring media monetisation in the age of AI
The rules of media archive management are being rewritten.
After decades of viewing archives primarily as storage repositories with occasional reuse value, media organisations find themselves navigating a fundamentally altered landscape: AI technologies that can transform unstructured content into searchable knowledge graphs, shifting consumption patterns that demand new content formats, and competitive threats from technology platforms that aggregate and repurpose content without clear value attribution.
Our research, drawing from in-depth interviews with senior media executives at CNBC International and the Financial Times, reveals a clear message - what media organisations need from their archives has changed dramatically. These leaders, managing everything from global news distribution to specialised financial information services, share a common perspective: monolithic archive stacks must evolve into modular, API-first platforms integrating AI orchestration, metadata intelligence, and first-party data augmentation; they must be rearchitected into intelligent content platforms that integrate seamlessly with AI, customer data, and monetisation workflows to match today's AI capabilities and business opportunities.
The data tells a compelling story:
75%
of organisations are already actively monetising their archives
AI was unanimously identified (100%) as the technology with the greatest potential impact
New revenue opportunities
emerged as the primary driver for transformation (75%)
Content discovery, rights management, expertise gaps, and legacy systems
were equally cited (25% each) as key challenges
Meropi Kylika from CNBC International highlights the fundamental shift:
“AI is enhancing content syndication through improved metadata and cataloguing capabilities. This enables us to service niche platforms more effectively when they request specific content, such as technology-focused stories from particular regions.”
Stephen Thomas from the Financial Times emphasises the changing perspective:
“We need to shift our focus beyond just managing current content and web pages to really understanding the value of our archives - and protecting it. For professional audiences seeking context around market events and price changes, historical content becomes incredibly valuable.”
The media industry stands at a pivotal crossroads.
As artificial intelligence reshapes content creation, distribution and consumption, organisations face both unprecedented challenges and extraordinary opportunities. The strategic reset required encompasses multiple dimensions: transforming content from linear text to structured knowledge components, developing IP frameworks for the AI era, balancing automation with editorial judgment, and creating multi-faceted monetisation approaches.
Key challenges emerging from our research include:
- Transforming unstructured content into structured knowledge components
- Maintaining temporal context and factual accuracy in AI-mediated discovery
- Developing rights frameworks that address emerging AI use cases
- Balancing technological innovation with clear business objectives
- Creating governance structures that bridge editorial and technical functions
- Designing new content formats that meet evolving user needs
- Building strategic partnerships that expand reach while maintaining control
This Market View publication brings together insights from media executives representing leading global organisations. Their experiences, combined with our survey data, provide a roadmap for transforming next-gen archive ecosystems that enable real-time semantic discovery, dynamic rights governance, and adaptive monetisation to match the needs of modern media organisation.
As you explore how to enhance your approach to content monetisation in the age of AI, we hope these insights provide both validation and fresh perspectives on achieving success in today's evolving landscape.
Connect with us and let's shape the media's future together.
Globant is a digitally native company that helps organizations reinvent themselves and unleash their potential. They bring innovation, design and engineering together at scale to create impactful solutions. Globant specializes in digital strategy, design, and development, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and trends. With their agile pods methodology and commitment to innovation, Globant is a trusted partner for top brands looking to lead their industries in the digital landscape. They create digital transformations using disruptive technologies like AI, blockchain, and cloud computing. Major clients include Google, EA, and Disney. Globant bridges the gap between design and engineering to develop innovative software products. Overall, Globant helps global organizations reinvent themselves digitally.
Globant-UK@globant.com