The TV hit continues to smash ratings but also leads the charge in new media trends
Note, if you intend to watch The Traitors series 4 but haven’t yet done so, this article may contain spoilers.
January. Resolutions broken, Monday blues and long dark nights. But it’s not all bad – it’s also the month that around 11 million of us tune into The Traitors. Now in its fourth season, its four-week run is a joyous antidote to the month of bleakness. However, alongside the entertainment value it provides, if you scratch a wee bit under the surface, you’ll see that the show is leaning into two wider trends that are likely to surface across the media landscape in 2026. If you don’t believe me, feel free to banish me – but until that point, let me make my case…
From episodes to always-on ecosystems
One of the most interesting trends to keep an eye on in 2026 involves a change in how we’ll consume broadcast content. In the past, post-episode cliffhangers gave rise to the original watercooler moments, with some productions investing in spin-off shows (such as the Xtra Factor, Big Brother’s Big Mouth, I’m a Celeb Unpacked, It Takes Two) to capture immediate reaction. However, the rise in social media channels and user-generated content around shows is creating a new level of viewer experience, moving away from the episodic to always-on engagement. What’s different is how this ecosystem involves the hybridisation and blurring of professional and creator-led content, with both bleeding into each other and creating a singular always-on experience for viewers.
The Traitors provides a perfect lens to illuminate this shift. The ecosystem that sits around the show now involves the TV-broadcast podcast – The Traitors Uncloaked – which originally started as a fan creator-inspired offshoot. Add to this the social media content (from the memes and beyond) and you have a month-long content dialogue. Similarly, in this series the audience is brought into the game with the addition of the Secret Traitor, bringing a unique and genuinely interactive experience that let viewers play the same game as the characters on TV. The bleeding is real.
Assuming this trend continues to shape the viewer landscape, it may provide challenges, but also a plethora of opportunities for broadcasters to play directly into the desire for always-on viewing experiences.
Authenticity as premium
You would have to be hiding under a rock not to have noticed how AI-generated content is seeping into what we watch. Whether it’s TV and online advertising, cutaway shots in TV shows and movies or deep-fakes – which range from the benign to the sinister. What’s of particular interest is that there is little desire or demand among viewers, or consumers, for this type of content, and it is this that leads us to the second trend likely to push further to the surface in 2026: authenticity as a premium content asset. When so much is fake, it’s perhaps unsurprising that content which is genuine and authentic will stand out. Storytelling that lays bare the messy idiosyncrasies of human behaviour will cut through. Micro-moments that get you right in the feels will be cinema.
Again, this is an area that The Traitors excels. While there is edited drama around key moments, it is also a brilliant petri dish of real, genuine human behaviour. The missteps, the mistakes, the micro moments of joy, frustration and connection – it’s all there. We love Stephen because we all recognise the panic and fear that come with performed identities. Those of us that aren’t great in group situations empathise with Jade as she negotiates misplaced pile-ons. We put ourselves in James’s shoes and query whether, in the same situation, we would have stolen the shield.
Who wins on The Traitors is ultimately secondary to the show’s character-driven narration. Overly manufactured TV is so 2016. 2026 will be the year of magnetic, character-driven, authentic content.
Staying faithful to viewer demand
Developments with AI are clearly going to continue disrupting and challenging broadcasters. From content sourcing and development through to execution and delivery, a plethora of compelling opportunities will follow. However, as the two trends above suggest, progress cannot be measured by automation alone. Brands that prioritise digital efficiency at the expense of emotional resonance and authentic experience risk eroding the very connection that keeps audiences coming back. In a market defined by abundance and choice, staying faithful to viewer demand means using AI to amplify human feeling, not replace it – or risk banishment from the breakfast table altogether.
About the author
Bri is a Client Director at Researchbods, bringing over a decade of experience in qualitative market research. He was recognised as a Market Research Hero in 2023 and was part of the winning team taking home the 2025 MRS Business Impact Award. Bri is passionate about turning insight into impact, immersing himself in clients’ worlds to help drive meaningful commercial outcomes. He is also a massive fan of The Traitors (as you may have already gathered!).
