Save 50% on a 3-month Digiday+ membership. Ends Dec 5.
The Internet is eating television.
That’s what Refinery29 co-founder Philippe von Borries concluded about the shift of digital publishers, like Vice, BuzzFeed and now Mashable, migrating to TV. Speaking at the Digiday Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado yesterday, he said that creating video for television is “one really important marker” in a company’s evolution.
“With video right now you need go all-in,” von Borries said, adding that it’s essential to have a hand in every type of format. “It’s about short form, it’s about creating great content for Facebook, but then it’s about live, 360 [degrees] and [virtual reality].”
He added that Refinery29’s recent foray into scripted, documentaries and how-to videos featuring stars attractive to his young female audience, like Lena Dunham, is part of its focus to “really go all-in and see what sticks.”
But not all video translates to every platform. He admitted that Refinery29 was “never that huge” on video apps Vine, Periscope or Meerkat, but is focusing on Facebook’s new live-streaming video tool, Facebook Live, because of its reach.
More in Media
Digiday+ Research Subscription Index 2025: Subscription strategies from Bloomberg, The New York Times, Vox and others
Digiday’s third annual Subscription Index examines and measures publishers’ subscription strategies to identify common approaches and key tactics among Bloomberg, The New York Times, Vox and others.
From lawsuits to lobbying: How publishers are fighting AI
We may be closing out 2025, but publishers aren’t retreating from the battle of AI search — some are escalating it, and they expect the fight to stretch deep into 2026.
Media Briefing: Publishers turn to vertical video to compete with creators and grow ad revenue in 2026
Publishers add vertical video feeds to their sites to boost engagement, attract video ad spend and compete with news creators.
Ad position: web_bfu