E! Co-Founder Larry Namer Predicts Vertical Video Will Become the Dominant Way People Consume Content by 2030

Entertainment pioneer joins The Vertical Buzz September 10th for a candid conversation about vertical entertainment, Hollywood and the future of media I think vertical will become the dominant way that people consume video content' — Larry Namer co-founder of E! Entertainment Television LOS ANGELES , CA, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Larry Namer, co-founder of E! Entertainment Television and one of the pioneers of modern entertainment media, joins host and creator Buzz Leer on The Vertical Buzz Thursday, September 10 for a wide-ranging conversation about the rapidly evolving vertical entertainment industry — and where he believes it is headed next. During the episode, Namer makes a bold prediction: 'By 2030, the predominant form of people watching video content will happen in a vertical format.' Namer, whose career in television, media and technology spans more than five decades, believes vertical entertainment isn't simply another trend competing with traditional television and film, but an increasingly important part of the global entertainment ecosystem. 'I think vertical will become the dominant way that people consume video content. Doesn't replace all that came behind it. We're still going to have television; we're still going to have movie theaters and stuff. It becomes part of the equation. It doesn't replace the entire equation.' Years Ahead of the Vertical Boom Namer's experience with vertical storytelling began well before the current explosion of microdramas in the United States. While producing content in China approximately eight years ago, Namer learned that 73% of the audience was watching on a cellphone. That led him to ask his production to team a simple question: 'Why do we continue to shoot horizontally when everybody watches us vertically? Why don't we just shoot vertical?' He also challenges the perception that vertical entertainment is a new American phenomenon. 'Here in America people think they invented it, and I'm going, 'The Chinese have been doing it for 12 years that I know of. And I've been doing vertical in China for eight years.'' Is Hollywood Misreading Vertical? Namer offers a warning to legacy entertainment companies now entering the space, arguing that bigger budgets, bigger stars and higher production values don't necessarily capture what made vertical storytelling successful in the first place. 'There's an incredible misunderstanding of what it is.' His concern is that traditional media companies could drive production costs higher while losing sight of the audience that built the format. 'My biggest fear here is we're going to go through a period where legacy media just starts throwing money at stuff and raises the cost, and it's going to get off track a little.' His advice is simple: 'Produce for the audience, not for yourself.' Namer also discusses the economics behind vertical entertainment, the similarities between today's microdramas and traditional soap operas, the potential expansion into horror and science fiction, and why he believes vertical will ultimately extend into virtually every category of content. 'Eventually every genre will have a vertical component to it. News, no question. We could argue when it'll come, but not will it come.' For Leer, the conversation represents exactly the kind of industry dialogue The Vertical Buzz was created to bring to the growing vertical entertainment community. 'Larry has spent more than five decades recognizing where audiences and entertainment are heading,' said Leer. 'When someone with Larry's history says vertical is going to become the dominant way people consume video content, that's a conversation worth paying attention to. This is one of those episodes where I found myself thinking: people in this industry need to hear this.' About Larry Namer Larry Namer is an entrepreneur, media executive and co-founder of E! Entertainment Television. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has worked across cable television, international media, digital entertainment and emerging technologies. His work today continues to focus on innovation across media, technology, artificial intelligence and the evolving global entertainment landscape. About The Vertical Buzz The Vertical Buzz is a weekly multi-camera media show dedicated to the rapidly growing world of vertical entertainment and microdramas. Hosted and created by actor, television host and media entrepreneur Buzz Leer, the series brings together the creators, executives, actors, directors and innovators shaping the future of vertical storytelling. Where vertical entertainment finds its voice. 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