When Larry Namer co-founded E! Entertainment Television in 1987, the future of entertainment looked a lot like cable. Now, nearly 40 years later, he thinks it looks like a smartphone held upright.
Speaking at VidCon 2026, a television executive who runs one of the most recognizable brands in pop culture made a simple argument. The entertainment industry has a habit of clinging to old formats long after the audience has left. Whether it’s cable, streaming, AI or vertical video, entertainment has always rewarded companies willing to follow rather than try to change viewer behavior, Namer argues.
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“I think storytelling is storytelling,” Namer said. “It’s just that the technology to tell that story is very different. The audience behavior is also very different.”
That philosophy has shaped much of his career. Now, this has led him to make predictions that still feel extreme in much of Hollywood. By 2030, vertical short-form videos will become the primary way people consume entertainment.
His reasoning is not based on trends or hype. It’s based on habit.
Namar recalled producing a celebrity news show in China where almost three-quarters of the audience watched the show on a mobile phone or tablet. This realization led his production team to ask a simple question. “Why are we shooting horizontally when everyone is looking at us vertically?”
The team rethought everything from the lighting to the framing to how the hosts move on camera to create a show designed for the screens viewers are already using. For Namel, it was common sense.
This idea also explains why he said he would not start a traditional cable network today.
Asked if he would build another E!, Namer said he believes there is still a huge demand for celebrity culture and entertainment news. He wasn’t going to package it the same way.
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“I’m going to launch this service in a non-linear way,” he said, arguing that viewers expect to watch what they want to watch, when they want to watch it, and on whatever device they happen to have.
This is a philosophy that goes far beyond vertical video.
The future of AI and entertainment
When the conversation turned to artificial intelligence, Namer issued a familiar warning to legacy media companies. “Stop fighting artificial intelligence.”
He compared today’s skepticism about AI to the music industry’s resistance to digital distribution 20 years ago. He argued that labels spent years trying to prevent the inevitable, only to end up ceding control of their business to platforms like Spotify and iTunes. He sees traditional media making similar mistakes by treating AI as something that can simply be ignored.
“Technology advances whether we like it or not,” he said. However, that doesn’t mean he advocates unchecked innovation.
Through conversations with Antony Gordon, founder of Lighthouse Edutainment, Namer repeatedly returned to the responsibility that comes with building media. He spoke at length about AI guardrails, the mental health challenges faced by young people, and the need for platforms that prioritize social good alongside profit. He argued that governments need to establish rules for AI, with clear standards and real-world consequences for abuse, just as they regulate driving.
His view of creators was similarly realistic.
Namar encouraged attendees to focus on acquiring skills rather than chasing fame itself. “Follow your passion” may be common career advice, but landlords don’t take sweaters as rent, he joked. Success, he argued, comes from being very good at something and using that success to create the freedom to pursue what you love.
Namer’s vision for the future of entertainment feels surprisingly grounded. He’s not claiming that vertical video will replace good storytelling. He argues that storytelling has always adapted to the lives of audiences. Television replaced radio. My streaming cable was interrupted. Smartphones have changed the way people watch.
In his view, vertical video is just the next evolution.
And if history is any indication, the first companies to embrace that change will be the ones that define entertainment’s next chapter.
Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage of creator interviews, panel highlights, the biggest moments from the convention floor, and more.
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