With mergers and acquisitions, agency executive turnover, and movie studios working with Google to make your (and my) Harry Potter dreams come true, there’s never a dull moment in the media industry. We expect 2017 to bring more of the same, which is to say, there’s even more disruption and surprises headed our way.

We media analysts here at Forrester think that next year:

·       Big, established media companies will disrupt themselves. As consumers’ media consumption continues to both increase in the aggregate and fracture across even more devices, media companies will invent new ways to develop content that captures their attention. The AT&T/Time Warner deal isn’t the end: look for other content and distribution companies to explore how to partner for the most advantageous commercial relationships between them and advertisersand consumers.

·       Marketers will step up to change the advertising calculus. Historically, marketers have been reluctant to upset the delicate balance among them, content providers and agencies. But in 2017, we’ll see advertisers demanding better quality ad products, inventive sponsorship opportunities and clearer measurement from their partners in return for their massive dollars.

·       Agencies relationships will get more complicated and contentious. Revelations around fraud, kick-backs, and the commoditization of advertising tech rocked the agency world in 2016. Next year the effects will reverberate through the industry as agencies and their clients search for ways to move forward—and it won’t be an easy road. Expect to see more lawyers in the room during even the easiest negotiations and be prepared to choose your partners based on talent and technology rather than on who can buy media the most cheaply.

·       The contracting ad tech ecosystem will result in more expansive deployments. Now that large tech players are gobbling up the ad tech start-ups, marketers will see the glorious possibilities of a truly integrated marketing and ad technology stack. Expect more sophisticated tech rollouts to lead to more efficient and effective marketing strategies as the business technology agenda matures.

For a ton more detail about these and other 2017 media industry predictions, Forrester clients can check out our report which published this morning.