When Larry Namer co-founded E! Entertainment Television in 1987, the future of entertainment looked a lot like cable. Nearly four decades later, he thinks it looks like a smartphone held upright.

Speaking at VidCon 2026, the television executive behind one of pop culture's most recognizable brands made a simple argument: the entertainment industry has a habit of clinging to old formats long after audiences have moved on. Whether it's cable, streaming, AI, or vertical video, Namer argues that entertainment has always rewarded companies willing to follow audience behavior rather than trying to change it.

"I think storytelling is storytelling," Namer said. "It's just the technology for delivering that story...is very different. Audience behavior is very different."

That philosophy has shaped much of his career. Today, it's leading him to make a prediction that still feels radical in much of Hollywood — by 2030, vertical, short-form video will become the primary way people consume entertainment.

His reasoning isn't based on trends or hype. It's based on habit.

Namer recalled producing a celebrity news show in China and discovering that nearly three-quarters of the audience watched it on a phone or tablet. The realization prompted a simple question for his production team. "Why are we shooting horizontal when everybody watches us vertical?"

The team rethought everything — from lighting to framing to how hosts moved on camera — to create a show designed for the screen audiences were already using. For Namer, it was common sense.

That mindset also explains why he says he wouldn't launch a traditional cable network today.

Asked whether he would build another E!, Namer said he still believes there's enormous demand for celebrity culture and entertainment news. He just wouldn't package it the same way.

"I would launch it in a non-linear fashion," he said, arguing that audiences expect to watch what they want, when they want, and on whatever device they happen to be holding.

It's a philosophy that extends well beyond vertical video.

AI and entertainment's future

When the conversation turned to artificial intelligence, Namer offered a familiar warning for legacy media companies: stop fighting it.

He compared today's AI skepticism to the music industry's resistance to digital distribution two decades ago. Labels spent years trying to stop the inevitable, he argued, only to surrender control of the business to platforms like Spotify and iTunes. He sees traditional media making a similar mistake by treating AI as something that can simply be ignored.

"Technology marches on whether you like it or not," he said. Yet, that doesn't mean he's advocating for unchecked innovation.

Throughout the conversation with Antony Gordon, the founder of Lighthouse Edutainment, Namer repeatedly returned to the responsibilities that come with building media. He spoke at length about AI guardrails, the mental health challenges facing young people, and the need for platforms to prioritize social good alongside profit. Governments, he argued, should establish rules for AI much like they regulate driving, with clear standards and real consequences for abuse.

His outlook on creators was similarly pragmatic.

Rather than chasing fame for its own sake, Namer encouraged attendees to focus on mastering a skill. "Follow your passion" may be common career advice, he joked, but landlords don't accept sweaters as rent. Success, he argued, comes from becoming exceptionally good at something and using that success to create the freedom to pursue what you love.

Namer's vision of the future of entertainment feels remarkably grounded. He isn't arguing that vertical video will replace great storytelling. He's arguing that storytelling has always adapted to the way audiences live. Television replaced radio. Streaming disrupted cable. Smartphones reshaped how people watch.

Vertical video, in his view, is simply the next evolution.

And if history is any indication, the companies that embrace that shift first will define entertainment's next chapter.

Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.