Today, content is the product and one way it monetizes is by renting out the attention it generates—selling advertising. In this new model, content is the cost and the only sustainable profits will be for media companies to own the complements themselves. This may sound extreme, but connecting some dots, we can see that this pattern has been happening in media for years. Prices are deflating. Consumer price sensitivity is increasing (see: struggling box office). Content is increasingly top-of-funnel for complements: Amazon and Apple monetize video through higher customer spend or ecosystem lock-in; recorded music is effectively promotion for concerts; mobile gaming is free-to-play and instead monetizes status or community; and the biggest creators (YouTubers, podcasters) are now making more selling snack foods, beverages, merchandise, courses, or live events, than the direct monetization of the content they create.