Skip to content
Research Center

Research & Insights

The authoritative research hub for the Viewer Economy — rigorous, openly published, and deliberately falsifiable work on how audiences create value and how that value can be measured and shared.

$480B

Projected size of the creator economy by 2027

Goldman Sachs, 2023

88%

Trust recommendations from people they know over advertising

Nielsen, 2021

20%

Of US music listeners are now “superfans”

Luminate, 2024

200M+

Monthly active users in Discord communities

Music Ally, 2024

Featured

Featured reports

Our flagship research defining and measuring the Viewer Economy. Each report is published openly and invites critique, replication, and collaboration.

White Paper

The Participation Value Index: A Framework for Measuring Audience Contribution

A deliberately falsifiable methodology for quantifying the value audiences create through discovery, advocacy, and governance.

4 pages
Read report
Industry Analysis

From Attention to Participation: The Economic Case for the Viewer Economy

Why the leverage in consumer media is migrating from passive reach to active contribution — and what it means for valuations.

4 pages
Read report
Industry Analysis

State of the Viewer Economy 2026

Our flagship annual report tracking the emergence of the participation model across consumer platforms.

5 pages
Read report
Research Library

Explore the full library

Search and filter every paper, analysis, framework, and field report across the Viewer Economy research program.

Showing 7 reports

White Paper

The Participation Value Index: A Framework for Measuring Audience Contribution

A deliberately falsifiable methodology for quantifying the value audiences create through discovery, advocacy, and governance.

4 pages
Read report
Industry Analysis

From Attention to Participation: The Economic Case for the Viewer Economy

Why the leverage in consumer media is migrating from passive reach to active contribution — and what it means for valuations.

4 pages
Read report
Industry Analysis

State of the Viewer Economy 2026

Our flagship annual report tracking the emergence of the participation model across consumer platforms.

5 pages
Read report
Field Report

Community-Led Discovery vs. Algorithmic Feeds: A Comparative Field Study

Trust, conversion, and retention outcomes when discovery shifts from algorithms to participating communities.

3 pages
Read report
Framework

The Participation Stack: Discovery, Curation, Advocacy, Governance

A reference model decomposing audience contribution into measurable, designable layers.

3 pages
Read report
White Paper

Audience Equity: Designing Upside-Sharing That Compounds

Design patterns for sharing value with participants without diluting creator incentives.

3 pages
Read report
Data Brief

Quarterly Signals: Where Participation Is Outperforming Reach

A quarterly scan of leading indicators suggesting the Viewer Economy is already underway.

3 pages
Read report
Resources

Downloadable resources

Methodologies, briefings, and reference materials for operators, investors, and researchers working in the category.

ZIP · 106 KB

Viewer Economy Media Kit

Logos, brand guide, boilerplate, and approved language for press and partners.

DownloadAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 2 pages

The Viewer Economy: Executive Overview

A primer for leadership teams evaluating the participation model.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 4 pages

Participation Value Index — Methodology

The PVI framework and its falsifiable scoring methodology.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 5 pages

State of the Viewer Economy 2026

Our flagship report on the emergence of the category, with cited data.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 4 pages

Investor Briefing

The economic case for the Viewer Economy, formatted for investment teams.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 3 pages

Glossary & Style Guide

Canonical terminology and usage for writing about the Viewer Economy.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 3 pages

The Participation Stack

A reference framework decomposing audience contribution into four measurable layers.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 3 pages

Audience Equity: Designing Upside-Sharing

Design patterns for sharing value with participants without diluting creators.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 3 pages

Community-Led Discovery vs. Algorithmic Feeds

An evidence review and replicable study design comparing the two discovery models.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
PDF · 3 pages

Quarterly Signals

A sourced scan of where audience participation is outperforming passive reach.

OpenAdded Jun 29, 2026
Collaborate

Researching the Viewer Economy?

We publish openly and welcome collaborators — to replicate our methods, challenge our frameworks, and help hold the category to a rigorous standard. Subscribe for new research, or reach out to propose a study.

Propose a research collaboration