Years ago, we only needed to follow three networks to buy commercials TV programs. That seemed pretty doable. Then it grew to four and five networks. Cable networks came along, and now there are some 70 advertising-supported traditional TV networks one could buy.

Now there’s digital video. So, start planning your schedule. For example, there are some 32,000 partnered YouTube creators. Know your content? You can only hope to.

Big YouTube channel Machinima believe it has figured out what to do: show marketers a YouTube creator has a history -- and better still, that they want to work with marketers. The result, according to Business Insider, is that Machinima can sell video advertising packages in deals valued from $1 million to $1.5 million.

TV networks continue to give upfront presentations; increasingly, so have digital platform providers,with their “Newfront” presentations.

But being the new kid on the block, digital video platforms still have a harder time of it -- unless a creator has already built up a following.

Is that what new TV producers need to do to in the future? Invest in building up an audience before a sale to advertisers? A proven track record does work in traditional TV -- kind of like the way TV syndicators still sell off-broadcast comedies to TV stations and cable TV networks. And networks, broadcast and cable, “sell” advertisers with “proven” TV creators/producers: Dick Wolf, Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy, and Chuck Lorre, to name a few.

Okay, maybe most of those 32,000 YouTube providers you don’t need to know too well. Focus on 100 of the most-subscribed YouTube channels for most of what you might need. Still you’ll need more knowledge; YouTube isn’t the only digital video provider.

And then look some years down the line: What will traditional TV producers need to do to “prove” their worth when tiny 1.0 rating points -- or worse --  among 18-49 viewers mean even less?