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 drive growth, 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.
Global Advertising
Global advertising revenues to hit US$1.4 trillion in 2030 as AI powers hyper-personalised, creative content. 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, 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.
From Screens to Streams
Bart Spiegel, Global Entertainment & Media Sector Leader, PwC, said: “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.”
Asia-Pacific to drive global box office recovery, while streamers look to consolidation and bundled packages to drive growth amid subscription fatigue
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 during 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 $8.7bn to ~$9.9bn (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 are expected to accelerate. As platforms continue to expand their 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, reaching 22.6% of the segment’s revenues by 2030.
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 decline at a CAGR of -1.1% to $341.2 billion by 2030.
More over, the live experiences continue to see significant demand, with online betting and gambling revenues to double.
Cinema Revival Helps Push Media Ad Revenues
Through 2030, the report projects continued growth – albeit a slowdown from a post-pandemic high – in content experiences centered on live, immersive, “shared reality” experiences. These include cinema, live music, out-of-home, and trade shows – 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 same 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 2021-2025 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%.
About PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30
The PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30 is an annual report covering the industry, and this year, it covers a total of 53 countries and territories. Twelve E&M segments are covered, including: traditional TV; OTT video; mixed reality; internet connectivity and data consumption; newspapers, consumer magazines and books; OOH; business-to-business; video games and esports; cinema; music, radio and podcasts; internet advertising; and online betting. This year, a new category was explored. Forecasts for segments are developed using multiple third-party datasets. You can learn more about the full report and methodology at www.pwc.com.
