PwC Projects Global Entertainment and Media Revenue Will Reach $4.2 Trillion by 2030

Global entertainment and media revenue is projected to reach $4.2 trillion by 2030, according to a PwC report that points to artificial intelligence, digital ecosystems and live events as the industry’s main growth engines.

The report, titled “Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30: Digital Innovation Drives Demand for Human Experiences,” forecasts annual growth of 3.4% through 2030. The industry generated $3.5 trillion in advertising, connectivity and consumer spending in 2025, after growing 5.3%, and PwC expects another 4.6% increase in 2026.

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In an age of digital innovation, live and immersive experiences, including sports, concerts, and trade shows, will show significant growth as consumers seek in-person experiences.

Advertising is expected to grow rapidly, surpassing $1.4 trillion by 2030 as marketers follow consumers across the platforms where they consume content and make retail decisions. The report also projects $600 billion in new revenue in 2030, driven overwhelmingly by digital ecosystems across the entertainment and media landscape.

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Innovation has forged change in the creative industries, and it will continue to do so.

PwC said live and immersive experiences, including sports, concerts and trade shows, would expand as consumers seek in-person activities. It urged companies across the sector to act quickly if they want to capture the new revenue and convert it into profit.

The report said increasingly powerful AI-based technologies would change how entertainment and media products are created, distributed and monetized. Those changes could reshape profit pools, open new business models and alter consumer expectations. But PwC said technology would not replace the human qualities at the center of the industry, including expertise, judgment, creativity, nuance, emotion and relationships. The report drew on a survey covering 53 countries and territories across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

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No matter how digital and algorithmic the user experience becomes, at its root, E&M remains an industry built on human craft and human experiences.