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\u2019s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Global Advertising<\/h2>\n
Global advertising<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Of the three major E&M segments analysed \u2013 connectivity, advertising, consumer \u2013 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).<\/p>\n By comparison, connectivity \u2013 what people pay for internet access and the largest by revenue of the three segments \u2013 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.<\/p>\n 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).<\/p>\n Within advertising, the global internet advertising market \u2013 which includes all digital spend across social, video, and more \u2013 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.<\/p>\n Bart Spiegel, Global Entertainment & Media Sector Leader, PwC, said: \u201cAdvertising continues to remain a powerhouse driving the global entertainment and media industry\u2019s revenues \u2013 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 \u2013 bundling packaged options for price-conscious consumers, and providing tailored, in-person premium experiences that consumers continue to demand.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Asia-Pacific to drive global box office recovery, while streamers look to consolidation and bundled packages to drive growth amid subscription fatigue<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Looking at streaming \u2013 also known as OTT (Over-The-Top) \u2013 revenue is projected to grow at a 6.1% CAGR. However, the pace of growth is projected to slow in mature markets as \u2018subscription fatigue\u2019 sets in.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s revenues by 2030.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n More over, the live experiences continue to see significant demand, with online betting and gambling revenues to double. <\/p>\n Through 2030, the report projects continued growth \u2013 albeit a slowdown from a post-pandemic high \u2013 in content experiences centered on live, immersive, \u201cshared reality\u201d experiences. These include cinema, live music, out-of-home, and trade shows \u2013 which are collectively projected to grow at a 5.2% CAGR to $294 billion.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Trade shows and experience-led business festivals are becoming a booming industry, roughly the same size of live music on a global basis \u2013 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2013 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%.<\/p>\n 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.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nFrom Screens to Streams<\/h2>\n
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Cinema Revival Helps Push Media Ad Revenues<\/h2>\n
About PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30<\/h2>\n
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