What We Learned at Cannes Lions 2026: AI, Community and the Case for Creativity

Minute Media was back on the ground at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity last week, once again serving as an official Sport Beach partner. Throughout the week, the team met with leaders across brands, sport and culture, and heard from an elite roster of athletes including Cooper Flagg, Lando Norris, Shaquille O’Neal, Naomi Osaka, Carlos Sainz and Lindsey Vonn.

Out of those conversations, four themes stood out:

AI is proving to be an amplifier rather than a replacement. The industry has entered what many are calling an “operational AI” phase where AI is streamlining workflows and driving production efficiency, but original storytelling and human judgment remain more valuable than ever.

Community is outpacing audience size as the metric that matters. Brands are looking past sheer scale and basic impressions, prioritizing cultural relevance, authentic storytelling and the kind of deep, long-term fandom that keeps audiences coming back.

Creativity is emerging as a measurable driver of business performance. The long-standing “brand versus performance” debate is fading, as award-winning creative work increasingly proves itself as a growth driver rather than just a branding exercise.

And the creator economy has moved from the sidelines to the center of the conversation, with brands increasingly treating creators as long-term business partners and media companies rather than one-off influencers.

While at Cannes, Minute Media President, Rich Routman, sat down with Beet.TV to discuss the company’s approach to adapting legendary storytelling for new platforms — from bringing the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show to Hulu to Sports Illustrated’s 48-cover global World Cup project.

“If we just continue to focus on the things that we do really well, but adapt them to how people are consuming media now, I think that we have a business that’s going to be for a long time,” Rich Routman.

At Minute Media, the team continues to believe that pairing industry-leading technology with unparalleled, authentic storytelling is the key to bringing fans closer to what they love — and that building sustainable communities and investing in impactful live experiences is how real connection wins.