The global entertainment and media (E&M) industry will hit US$4.2 trillion in revenues in 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.4%, as AI-powered advertising and in-person, live experiences power growth in the industry, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30.
The outlook, which charts global growth across 12 E&M sectors and 53 countries and territories, finds the expansion will see $600 billion in new revenues in 2030, overwhelmingly driven by digital ecosystems.
Advertising is projected to remain the fastest-growing E&M segment analysed in the report.
Of the three major E&M segments analysed – connectivity, advertising, and consumer advertising is projected to grow at a 5.6% CAGR and eclipse consumer spending in 2026 (which is expected to grow at a 2.5% CAGR).
By comparison, connectivity – what people pay for internet access and the largest by revenue of the three segments – is projected to slow through 2030, growing at a CAGR of 2.3% from $1.3 trillion in 2025 to $1.5 trillion in 2030.
Advertising spends surpassed US$1 trillion for the first time in 2025 and is projected to hit $1.4 trillion in 2030 as AI-powered, real-time hyper-personalisation enables more targeted advertising solutions, commanding a higher cost-per-thousand (CPM).
Within advertising, the global internet advertising market – which includes all digital spend across social, video, and more – alone accelerated by 12.2% in 2025 to reach $755.6 billion and is projected to grow at a 7.2% CAGR through the forecast period.
“Advertising continues to remain a powerhouse driving the global entertainment and media industry’s revenues – and it will play an increasingly greater role as AI-powered hyper-personalisation transforms engagement with end-users. Amid heightened industry competition and growing digital ecosystems, market players must be thinking about their service offerings – bundling packaged options for price-conscious consumers, and providing tailored, in-person premium experiences that consumers continue to demand,” said Bart Spiegel, Global Entertainment & Media Sector Leader, PwC.
Continuing its post-pandemic recovery, global box office revenue is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% to reach $39.5 billion by 2030, as it continues to regain ground lost in the pandemic.
Regionally, recovery remains uneven, with Asia-Pacific leading growth from $13.8 billion in 2025 to ~$17 billion by 2030 (4.3% CAGR), followed by EMEA from $8.6 billion to ~$10.1 billion (3.3% CAGR) and North America from $8.7 billion to ~$9.9 billion (2.8% CAGR). These revenue increases are driven by pricing, as cinema admissions, by comparison, are projected to increase globally at a modest 1% CAGR.
Looking at streaming, also known as OTT (Over-The-Top) – revenue is projected to grow at a 6.1% CAGR. However, the pace of growth is projected to slow in mature markets as ‘subscription fatigue’ sets in.
As a result, greater consolidation, multi-package bundling, and partnership activity is expected to accelerate. And as platforms continue to expand ad-supported tiers and monetization models, advertising will play a greater role in OTT. Currently at 19.4% of revenues, OTT ads are projected to grow at a 9.4% CAGR so that by 2030 they will represent 22.6% of the segment’s revenues.
As consumers increasingly source content in real-time and on mobile and digital platforms, global traditional TV revenues fell 2.7% in 2025 to $360.5 billion and are projected to continue to fall at a CAGR of -1.1% to $341.2 billion by 2030.
Through 2030, the report projects continued growth, albeit a slowdown from a post-pandemic high in content experiences centred on live, immersive, “shared reality” experiences. These include cinema, live music, out-of-home, trade shows, and online betting, which are collectively projected to grow at a 5.2% CAGR to $294 billion.
The global music, radio, and podcasts market is projected to grow from $125.5 billion in 2025 to $145.1 billion in 2030. Streaming will remain the largest component in 2030, at $56.6 billion. Live music, which will grow at a 2.1% CAGR, will top $41.5 billion in 2030.
Trade shows and experience-led business festivals are becoming a booming industry roughly the size of live music on a global basis – and growing more rapidly. Spending on exhibiting at these events generated $38 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 3.3% CAGR through 2030 to $44.6 billion.
One of the most powerful trends has been the rise in online betting and gambling, now a larger segment than cinema. A new area of the Outlook – across the ten markets studied, gross online regulated gambling revenue (GGR) more than doubled between 2021 25 from $37.1 billion in 2021 to $79.5 billion in 2025. The growth is projected to continue, with total GGR reaching $119.7 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 8.5%.