Perspectives from the Global Entertainment

& Media Outlook 2022–2026

Fault lines and

fractures: Innovation
and growth in a new
competitive landscape
About this report
It is our pleasure to welcome readers to the annual Global Entertainment & Media
Outlook 2022–2026. Now in its 23rd year, the Outlook is the premier source of
information, forecasts and insight into the continuing evolution of this compelling
and ever-expanding sector.

To use a term that entertainment and media (E&M) and money on the complex and increasingly immersive
consumers may be familiar with, the Outlook Perspectives E&M experiences that are available to them.
Report is a mashup—in the best sense of the word. Each
year, we gather, examine and question a deep collection of Our colleagues on the PwC industry team always look
proprietary industry data and forecasts. Next, our global forward to collaborating on this report. It offers us the
team of experts from more than a dozen countries discuss opportunity to share and compare data, develop new
and debate the trends we see in the market, in our client insights and forge stronger connections across segments
work and in our daily lives. The result is a unique body of and territories. Each year, the feedback we receive shows
intelligence and foresight that companies and investors all that the report helps you do the same. If you’d like to learn
over the world can rely on as they plot strategy and action. more about how our findings and thinking can help your
business, contact your local PwC team (see page 22) or
The core of the Outlook is our comprehensive five-year reach out to one of us.
forecasts of consumer and advertising spending for
14 segments across 52 territories. And this year, as we
struggle—not always successfully—to put the disruptions
of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, we have tightened Werner Ballhaus
our focus on what lies ahead. In 2021, the E&M industry Global Entertainment & Media
bounced back from the contraction of 2020 to resume Industry Leader
its growth path, with revenues rising a strong 10.4%. Partner, PwC Germany
We forecast that by 2026, the global E&M industry will werner.ballhaus@pwc.com
approach US$3tn in revenues.

But the stable overall growth pattern masks an underlying

volatility. It is clear that the pandemic accelerated changes
in consumer behaviour and digital adoption in ways that Wilson Chow
will affect future growth trajectories. Some of the sectors Global Technology, Media
that saw immense gains amid the pandemic will not be and Telecommunications
able to sustain that growth, while others will continue to (TMT) Leader
build from their higher bases. Some formerly niche sectors, Partner, PwC China
such as gaming, will barrel their way into prominence, as wilson.wy.chow@cn.pwc.com
other formerly dominant sectors will see their competitive
positions erode. This year, the focus of our report is the
fault lines and fractures that are opening up between
industries and companies, within sectors, and between Emmanuelle Rivet
high-growth and low-growth geographies. Global Technology Leader
Partner, PwC US
One thing is clear from the data and the forecasts: the emmanuelle.s.rivet@pwc.com
vast E&M complex is growing more rapidly than the global
economy as a whole. With each passing year, more people
around the world are spending more of their time, attention
Contents

1. Introduction: Fault lines and fractures 02

2. Fractures in a post-pandemic reset 04

3. Consumers call the shots 06

4. Businesses navigate the fractures 10

5. Deals reshape the industry 13

6. The next new thing 15

7. Regulation and trust 17

8. Conclusion 19

Methodology and definitions 20

Use and permissions 21

Global Entertainment & Media Outlook territory contacts 22

Contributors 24
1 Introduction:
Fault lines and fractures

2021 was a year of uncertainty The Outlook is a story, at its root, of evolving consumer

in public health, supply chains behaviours—and the advertising dollars that follow those
behaviours. As business models shift to meet consumers
and geopolitics. But amid all where they spend their time (and money), several fault lines
the uncertainty came a greater are opening up. Among those we explore are the fault lines
that are developing:
clarity about the overall trends
of the market, the forces driving • Between companies and sectors expecting a return to
the pre-COVID-19 status quo and those aggressively
growth, and an understanding moving into the future
of the fault lines and fractures
forming in consumer behaviours,
• Among the behaviours of customers in different demo-
graphics, countries and even regions within countries
business models, competitors
and regulations. • Between perceived gatekeepers seeking to protect
their markets and gatecrashers bent on upending
the status quo
After falling 2.3% in 2020, total global entertainment
and media (E&M) revenue rose a strong 10.4% in 2021, • Between the current wave of digitisation and the next
resuming its trend of outpacing global growth. In 2022, the wave of digitisation, notably the metaverse
US$2.5tn global industry is expected to grow 7.3%, and it
should notch a 4.6% CAGR through 2026. • Between market-specific regulators and global
tech platforms
But there is a great deal of spikiness underlying the
smooth, linear revenue trend. Powerful forces are • Among creators, distribution platforms and consumers
causing transformation and divergence. Like tectonic
plates shifting, these forces have the ability to undermine
established positions and create new rifts. But they can
also forge vast new pools of revenues. As the world strives
to move forward amid the continuing challenge of the
COVID-19 pandemic, E&M industries are operating from
new baselines. A vision of what the dynamic E&M complex
will be like in 2026 is coming into focus—a US$2.9tn industry
that is more digital, more mobile, more pitched at media
that attract the young, more evenly distributed around the
globe and more dependent on advertising in all its forms.

02 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

A US$2.9 trillion market After a brief decline in 2021, the global E&M industry is poised
for strong growth.

Global E&M revenues (US$tn) E&M year-on-year growth (%)

3.5 12
4.6% CAGR
2021–26

10
3.0

8
2.5

6
2.0

1.5

1.0
0

0.5
-2

1.96 2.07 2.17 2.12 2.34 2.51 2.64 2.75 2.84 2.93
0 -4
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 03

2 Fractures in a
post-pandemic reset

The fractures and fault lines to a mean of in-person or remain

emerging in today’s entertainment at pandemic-era higher levels of
and media landscape have placed remote and hybrid arrangements.
the entire industry on a new But there is no rapid return to the
footing. The lockdowns associated pre-COVID era in consumption and
with COVID-19, of course, led to leisure activity. More of such activity
increased consumer interest in is happening online and in digital
digital content and services, such spaces. That promises expanding
as exercise programmes, streaming opportunities for online retailers and
entertainment and online shopping. marketers of all shapes and sizes,
There’s great uncertainty about as social and online video platforms
the extent to which work will return become increasingly shoppable.

A US$1tn advertising market Marketers will keep spending more to meet customers where
they are—in digital spaces.

Global digital and non-digital E&M advertising revenue (US$tn)

Digital Non-digital

6.6% CAGR
2021–26
1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

04 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

A shifting mix Advertising is poised to become the largest of the three main
E&M sectors by 2026.
Share of global E&M spending, %
Consumer spending Advertising Internet access

40

35 35.1%
33.5%
31.4%
30

25

20
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

Players in every sector now face some fundamental Advertising to the fore
questions. Is the boost that their business experienced Our analysis organises spending into three broad pillars:
in the pandemic sustainable, or did it steal growth from consumer spending, internet access and advertising.
the future and push individual platforms and markets to In 2017, consumer spending dominated, at 40% of total
the point of saturation more quickly? If their business revenue, while advertising accounted for only 29% of
experienced a decline during the pandemic, will things turn total revenues. But in 2022, advertising will pass internet
around, or will they get worse? The Global Entertainment access. In 2026, advertising will be the single largest
& Media Outlook 2022–2026 answers these questions and sector, accounting for nearly 35.1% of all industry revenue.
throws into sharp relief the factors defining the landscape
of the next US$100bn industries and sectors. The most
fundamental fault line is between (1) those industries that The two big themes newly evident in our forecast are the
benefited from both COVID-19–induced behavioural trends increasing digitisation of E&M and the rising dominance
and the underlying technological and demographic trends of advertising. Advertising, which fell nearly 7% in 2020,
and (2) those that are on the wrong side of both. grew a stunning 22.6% in 2021—and represented 32.2%
of total industry revenues. It is set to grow at a 6.6%
• After surging in 2020, over-the-top (OTT) video grew an CAGR through 2026 on the way to becoming a US$1tn
additional 22.8% in 2021, pushing revenue to US$79.1bn. market. The growth is fed largely by digital. Non-digital
The pace of OTT revenue growth will moderate; it is advertising, which is barely rising, is expected to decline
expected to grow at a 7.6% CAGR through 2026, when after 2025. Over the five-year forecast period, global
revenue will be US$114.1bn. internet advertising revenue will expand at an impressive
9.1% CAGR to reach US$723.6bn in 2026, at which point
• Video games revenue, which rose 32% between 2019 74% of revenue will be mobile. (Mobile video ads alone are
and 2021, will rise at an 8.4% CAGR through 2026, creat- set to reach US$138.9bn in 2026.) By 2026, we expect US
ing a US$321bn industry. internet advertising revenue to be only US$8.4bn short of
total global non-digital advertising revenue.
• Traditional TV, beset by competition from OTT streaming
services, will see global revenue shrink at a -0.8% CAGR, Why is advertising growing so rapidly? At root, the answer
from US$231bn in 2021 to US$222.1bn in 2026. is simple: more consumers are spending more of their time
in environments where they can be reached by digital ads
• Cinemas, which are slowly reviving from the COVID and where they can conduct transactions in real time.
shutdowns, won’t regain their 2019 revenue total of
US$45.2bn until 2023.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 05

3 Consumers call
the shots

Much of the industry press has into streaming and games than
focused on the actions and power the current consumer population.
of the giant companies that have This customer base is also more
dominated the E&M industries. involved in creating and shaping
But it is the choices—perhaps experiences for others.
influenced by algorithmic search
and recommendation engines—that Regional divides
billions of consumers make about Some of the largest fault lines in the world involve income
and access to technology. In 2021, 72.7% of households
their time, attention and money had fixed broadband internet access, and 60.7% of the
that are fuelling the transformation, population had mobile internet access. That means there
are still billions of people in the world who are not yet able
driving trends and, in some to regularly access high-speed internet. At a regional level,
instances, widening the fault lines. North America commands by far the highest E&M spend
per capita, at US$2,229, nearly double Western Europe’s
Coming into view for 2026 is an avid US$1,158. By contrast, Asia-Pacific, which was the largest

global E&M consumer base that E&M region by revenue in 2021, has per capita spend of
only US$224. The Middle East and Africa have the lowest
is younger, more digital and more per capita E&M spend of any region globally, at US$82.

Geographic disparities Established markets command the lion's share of spending.

2021 E&M spending per capita, by region (US$)

2,229

1,158

246 224 82
154

North America Western Europe Central & Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East
Eastern Europe & Africa

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

06 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

Rising consumers Spending is rising most rapidly in developing countries.

Top ten countries by consumer growth, 2021−26, CAGR, %

Turkey 14.2

Argentina 10.4

India 9.1

Nigeria 8.8

Colombia 7.6

Saudi Arabia 7.3

Mexico 7.1

Pakistan 7.1

Indonesia 7.1

Chile 7.0

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

There have always been variations in the ways different Youth will be served
demographics and age groups consumed and engaged The fastest-growing country by consumer revenue is
with media. But today’s differences are more accentuated, Turkey, with a 14.2% CAGR from 2021 through 2026. This
as the behavioural shifts ushered in by the pandemic rate will be driven by strong growth in video games, music
collide with the distinctive expectations and aspirations and cinema. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Japan,
of the younger generation. The fault lines run though which has an aging and declining population, will grow
homes, or even one living room. It’s commonplace to have at just a 1.4% CAGR through 2026. The top ten countries
four people of different ages from the same family on the by CAGR are in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and
same couch, immersed in four different E&M universes, Africa, where spending is low but video games and OTT
all accessed via different devices. One might be on a video provide the majority of revenue increase.
games console or a virtual reality (VR) headset having a
conversation, another flicking through short videos on a
phone, a third streaming a movie on a tablet and a fourth
updating her social media page on a laptop.

There is opportunity for huge growth in the populous

developing markets, where masses of young consumers
are latching onto emerging trends.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 07

 Gaming time Social and casual gaming is fuelling a boom in the sector.

Total global video games revenue, by segment (US$bn)

Social/casual gaming PC games Console games Integrated video games advertising

25%
321.1

299.9
31.5
278.4
31.1
257.1
42.2
30.6
235.7
40.4
214.2 30.0
38.6
29.2
196.9
36.6
28.3
35.2
162.4 28.6
33.7
139.2
25.6 31.3
120.4
25.0 28.9 242.7
223.8
23.8 204.7
27.3
185.8
25.5 167.0
148.0
132.9
103.9
83.2
67.7

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

Games increasingly rule 2026, they will account for 10.9% as the niche becomes
The medium most favoured by the young, video games, more mainstream. Revenues will be bolstered by rapidly
is among the sectors experiencing the most significant increasing investment in in-app advertising. China and
growth. In 2021, total video games revenue (excluding the US accounted for around half of global gaming and
esports) reached US$214.2bn, and it will rise at an 8.4% esports revenues in 2021. But many of the populous but
CAGR to US$321.1bn in 2026. (The sector is one of less wealthy countries have lots of room for growth. Turkey
just three to add more than US$100bn in revenue to its will be the fastest-growing video games market between
base over the forecast period; the others are internet 2021 and 2026 (with a 24.1% CAGR), followed by Pakistan
advertising and internet access). In 2017, global video (21.9%) and India (18.3%). Gaming, with its immersive
games made up a mere 6.1% of total E&M spending. By experiences and virtual items, is also paving the way to the
metaverse and the next generation of digital advertising,
entertainment and brand experiences.

08 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

Fracturing of attention: New mega-platforms emerge
As recently as two decades ago, the E&M industry—and Privacy in a ‘cookieless’ world
therefore consumers’ attention—in each market was One of the more prominent fault lines has to do with
dominated by a handful of easily identifiable players privacy. A growing number of consumers are choosing
that had changed little in many years: broadcasters, film to spend more time in places that don’t allow tracking.
studios, record labels, news organisations, large social Apple launched the App Tracking Transparency (ATT)
media platforms. That previously established order has framework in April 2021, which mandates that iOS users
been decisively ripped apart, as consumers’ attention has opt in before their identifier for advertisers (IDFA) can be
migrated elsewhere in rapid and unpredictable ways. accessed. More than half of users have since chosen to
opt out of tracking through IDFA, which means Apple’s ATT
Today, apps can come and go very quickly. The audio chat has had major impacts on the revenues and operations of
app Clubhouse experienced explosive growth in the first iOS advertisers, app publishers and even Apple’s big tech
months of the pandemic, notching 34 million downloads, peers. In response, the industry is having to adopt new
but faded rapidly in 2021. And it is now clear, for the processes, place greater emphasis on first-party data and
first time, that there seems to be a limit to the growth develop new ad-measurement and targeting technology to
of juggernaut platforms or apps such as Facebook and maintain the effectiveness of in-app advertising. Google,
Netflix, as they may lose their ability to attract and retain as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative, is set to phase
attention in a world of rapidly evolving preferences and out third-party cookies from its Chrome Web browser in
shrinking attention spans. the second half of 2023. As money continues to flow into
online advertising, it will push marketers to rethink how
Much of the attention of the young has been diverted they run campaigns, target messages and measure results.
towards newer platforms. TikTok’s endless and addictive
scroll has about 1bn monthly active visitors. Beyond
advertising, TikTok has emerged as an immensely powerful
music discovery tool. In 2021, more than 175 songs that
trended on TikTok ended up charting on the Billboard Hot
100. And 30 songs surpassed 1bn TikTok video views. But
teenagers are now spending more time in immersive virtual
worlds like Roblox and Fortnite than they are on TikTok.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 09

4 Businesses navigate
the fractures

Until very recently, the market Given the seemingly unlimited options arising around

position, capitalisation and the world and the competition for the same limited pool
of consumer dollars, something has to give. And in the
growth prospects of the past year, it has. The OTT video streaming market is still
industry’s gatekeepers appeared growing in aggregate, at a 7.6% CAGR through 2026. But
for the first time, players are confronting the prospect that
unassailable. Alphabet/Google there may not be enough individual subscriptions to feed
and Meta/Facebook, along with their growth ambitions. Netflix announced in April 2022
that it had lost 200,000 subscribers—the first such decline
Amazon, are the main forces in in a decade. Faced with concerns about the potential to
online ads globally. Other persistent attract large numbers of subscribers, Discovery decided

contenders include Twitter and to pull the plug on its US$300m investment in CNN+ just
three weeks after its expensive launch.
Snap; in China, players such as
WeChat, Weibo and Tencent are The market tensions and declining share prices of many of
the largest players, coupled with the potential for reduced
dominant. But fault lines have investments on the part of private equity and venture
emerged in this area, too, thanks capital, are likely to change the landscape. The assumption
that throwing large sums of money at content creation
in part to evolving consumer to feed direct-to-consumer offerings will be enough to
behaviour, competitor behaviour produce both massive growth and profit at scale is now in
doubt. As a result, questions are arising as to what the next
and disruptions by gatecrashers phase of growth will be.
such as Roblox.
Streaming fractures Two of the three highest-grossing films globally in 2021
The spending power of the global population is growing were Chinese. Blockbusters The Battle at Lake Changjin
arithmetically. But the choices people have among and Hi, Mom! each grossed more than US$800m.
streaming services (and the stated goal of E&M companies
to sell them) seem to be growing geometrically. The
biggest business stories of 2021 included the launch of Going local
Peacock, the debut of Paramount Plus and the organic Distributors are focusing on more local content—and going
growth of Disney+ (87.6m subscribers and counting). In even more local within national markets. The dramatic
India, where Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix and recovery in cinema revenues is being fuelled by growth in
Zee account for most OTT revenues, more than 40 other developing markets like India.
players are active. Grupo Globo announced an investment
of R$1bn (US$211m) in Globoplay as part of its Uma
Só Globo (Just One Globo) initiative to bring all brands
and channels onto its premium platform. In Indonesia’s
thriving OTT streaming market, the global streaming giants
compete with local and regional players such as WeTV
(Asian drama), GoPlay (local Indonesian content) and
Mola TV (live sports).

10 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

Back in the picture Cinema revenues will rise to record highs as attendance rebounds.

Total global cinema revenues and admissions

Cinema revenues (US$bn) Admissions (bn)

52.7
50.7
48.7
45.2 46.4
43.6
41.9
38.0

22.8

12.7

7.7 7.9 7.9 7.1 7.3 7.5 7.7

5.7
3.3
1.9

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

Bollywood films in Hindi are facing fierce competition from Diversifying revenues
‘Tollywood’ movies—films made in the Telugu language, Many of the largest and most sophisticated players have
which is widely spoken in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. had a relatively simple business model: they have relied
Regional (mostly South Indian) films such as RRR; Pushpa: on subscriptions, a single stream of revenues. But faced
The Rise; and Kolar Gold Fields (KGF): Chapter 2 have with a decline in organic user growth, Netflix is planning to
been major hits. RRR, an action epic with a US$72m launch an ad-supported offering this year, which could also
budget, set the record for first-day box office revenues in allow it to lower the subscription price. What we may see
India when it premiered in March 2022. next is a fracture between those players that are able to
successfully and profitably diversify revenue streams and
In some emerging economies, the focus of E&M growth those that are not.
is shifting to previously underserved cities and regions.
As mobile penetration—including 5G service—continues Across sectors, in fact, E&M businesses are finding ways
to increase, a huge growth opportunity is appearing to incorporate advertising and e-commerce, which are
outside the major urban centres. In Indonesia, as of late tightly linked. Revenue always follows attention, and as
2021, 5G services were being extended to nine cities. In attention moves to these emerging segments, we are
China, the OTT market is now relatively saturated in the big seeing that pattern appear once again.
metropolitan centres, which are mainly located in the East.
The principal growth opportunities are in the rural areas
and the West, but expanding into these areas is costly for
OTT providers given lower levels of connectivity there.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 11

New platforms Advertising on connected television and in games is turning
into a signficant market.

In-app games and connected TV advertising revenue (US$bn)

Connected TV advertising (20 countries only) In-app games advertising

27.6% CAGR
2017-16
160
146.4
140

120

100

80

60

40
16.3
20

0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Note: 2021 is the latest available data. 2022–2026 values are forecasts.
Source: PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026, Omdia

This year’s Outlook is the first edition of the report to In another example of the blurring of the lines between
measure in-app games advertising. Its scale and continued media and commerce, some of the largest e-commerce
growth potential are plain to see. This metric topped platforms have become major forces in advertising.
US$54bn in 2021 and will exceed US$100bn by 2025. These are the new malls, places where people go with
the intention of shopping, not entertaining themselves.
Shoppable ads And because of their size and power, they now have the
The rapid rise of e-commerce, spurred by the ongoing ability to monetise audiences with search and promotions.
pandemic, has also raised the importance of tying Amazon and Walmart are selling advertisements on
advertising investment to purchases and, as a result, their platforms, growing into truly large advertising
shoppable advertising units. NBCUniversal, for instance, businesses in their own right. Amazon’s advertising
has developed NBCU Checkout, which allows viewers revenue in 2021 rose to US$31bn. In China—and
to purchase products without leaving its video player. In increasingly elsewhere—advertising dollars are going
2021, Alphabet’s YouTube announced ‘brand extensions,’ to e-commerce on short videos.
a new ad type for connected TV devices, which are the
platform’s fastest-growing screen in terms of watch time. Business strategies are continuing to be reshaped so
Brand extensions allow viewers to use TV remotes to send that companies can meet the consumers of 2026 where
a notification to their smartphone containing a link to a they will be living, hanging out and shopping. Given the
product being advertised on the screen. Meta has also expected increase in time spent in 3D experiences, we
discussed the medium-term growth opportunities for on- are likely to see greater investment in e-commerce in
site conversion through ads aimed at lead generation and gaming environments and the metaverse, with brands
shop ads, which direct users to a brand’s digital storefront such as Nike and Gucci not only offering branded virtual
on Facebook or Instagram. items for purchase but also offering the opportunity to
order physical goods.

12 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

5 Deals reshape
the industry

Entertainment and media had acquisition companies (SPACs) or

a banner year for mergers and an individual making a US$44bn
acquisitions (M&A) in 2021, with bid for a global platform. Recent
deals totalling US$142bn, compared deals reflect the fault lines in
with just US$17bn in 2020. Deal the marketplace and among
volume was also sharply higher consumers; deals are driven by
than in the previous year. Alongside growth opportunities.
traditional M&A, the industry’s
Divestments and consolidation
roster of deals now includes an In the US, the most notable large deal was an unwinding of
increasingly rich mix of transactions, one of the giant consolidation deals of previous years, in

whether venture capital and private this case a telecom company buying media companies. In
2018, AT&T bought Time Warner for US$85bn. But in May
equity investments, special-purpose 2021, AT&T agreed to combine its WarnerMedia business

Robust deal flow The volume of E&M transactions has remained at a persistently high level.

Global E&M M&A volumes (number of deals)

2019 2020 2021 2022

473
460
449 440
416
389 383 373 376
356 363
347

298

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
2019 2020 2021 2022

Note: Volumes are based on officially announced transactions, excluding rumoured and withdrawn transactions, as provided by Refinitiv as of
31 March 2021 and as accessed on 2 April 2022. Certain adjustments have been made to the source information to align with PwC’s industry mapping.
Source: Refinitiv, PwC analysis

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 13

with Discovery to create a new streaming giant better able Sources of capital
to compete with the likes of Netflix and Disney+. The closure The capital for these deals comes from many places.
of the deal in mid-2022 marks a significant event in both Beyond the traditional large-cap players is substantial—
the US and the global media landscape, intensifying the and increasing—activity across a diverse range of capital
level of competition. Both AT&T and Verizon have also sold sources, including private equity, venture capital and
off digital advertising and advertising technology assets to SPACs. In 2021, Anghami, an Arabic competitor to Spotify,
help cover the cost of building out their 5G infrastructure. became the first Middle East tech company to be listed
outside the region via a SPAC when it joined Nasdaq.
It’s no surprise that dealmakers seeking to capture the future Although SPAC activity has declined from its peak levels,
audiences were focused on games. In April 2022, Microsoft private equity and venture capital will continue to provide
completed its purchase of games developer Activision significant capital to fund promising opportunities.
Blizzard, the company behind such franchises as Call of
Duty, World of Warcraft and Overwatch. The US$68.7bn Youth may be served in today’s E&M culture, but the elderly
deal, the largest in the history of video games, will enable can get paid. Digital music streaming is expanding apace,
Microsoft to tap into a community of 400m monthly with global revenues projected to grow from US$24.5bn in
active players. Sony acquired five video games studios 2021 to US$36.8bn in 2026. With a strong move underway
in 2021, including Bluepoint and Valkyrie Entertainment, to mine value from current or older content, music rights
and in early 2022 it announced the US$3.6bn acquisition have become a valuable, in-demand asset. Longtime
of Bungie, the developer of Halo and Destiny, and Haven artists with vast catalogues have found themselves sitting
Studios, which helped develop Assassin’s Creed. on gold mines. Universal Music Group invested US$420m
in catalogues in 2021, on top of the US$1bn it spent in
In rapidly growing markets, some consolidation in more the previous year. In early 2022, the company bought the
traditional areas was evident. The strong rebound in catalogues of veteran artists Neil Diamond (age 81) and
cinema revenues in India has triggered a scramble to Sting (70). Headline deals for Sony Music Entertainment
bulk up. In March 2022, cinema operators PVR and Inox included picking up the rights to music by both Bob Dylan
Leisure announced they would merge to create India’s (81) and Bruce Springsteen (72). BMG has acquired music
largest multiplex chain, with a network of 1,500-plus rights from a number of groups and artists, among them
screens branded PVR-INOX. Also in March 2022, Zee, ZZ Top, Mötley Crüe and Tina Turner (82).
a powerhouse in regional channels, and Sony Pictures
Networks India combined to create India’s second-largest Volatility in the financial markets and rising interest rates
entertainment network by revenue, just behind Disney. If may put a damper on deal activity in the short term. But
approved, the merged entity will have 75 TV channels, two it is clear that companies will continue to use M&A as
video streaming services, two film studios, a digital content a strategy to transform their organisations so that they
studio and large libraries of programming and music. can vault the fault lines. And as has been seen with Elon
Musk’s offer to purchase Twitter, some large financial
players and vast pools of capital from unexpected sources
may be deployed in the E&M sector.

Old songs, new revenues: Music catalogue sales

Artist Acquirer Amount Date

Justin Timberlake Hipgnosis Songs Capital US$100mn May 2022 (announced)

Sting Universal Music US$300mn March 2022

Bruce Springsteen Sony Music US$550mn December 2021

Paul Simon Sony Music US$250mn March 2021

Stevie Nicks Primary Wave US$100mn December 2020

14 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

6 The next
new thing

The next big technology paradigm Such applications are already available today. In the not-

shift has the potential to create a too-distant future, the metaverse could be a stunningly
realistic world where individuals and organisations sell
new fault line between the current goods and services, sign and enforce contracts, recruit
digital/virtual world and the next and train workers, and interact with customers and
communities. For businesses—especially entertainment
one. The concept of the metaverse, and media organisations—the implications of this immersive,
coined in a 1992 sci-fi novel, has persistent and decentralised digital world are enormous.
There is the possibility of creating digital identities that
been gaining steam in the broad consumers and organisations can fully own, setting
computing complex for several new rules for governance and creating more immersive

years. But it vaulted into public digital experiences that capture attention and, ultimately,
revenues. (Read more about our take on the metaverse.)
consciousness in October 2021,
when Facebook rebranded itself How big is the market opportunity in the metaverse?
One obvious starting place—but just a starting place—is
as Meta. Though the term itself is the market for VR, which is one of the smaller segments
still evolving, the metaverse can be tracked by the Outlook. Buoyed by the success of Meta’s
Quest VR system in particular, global spending on VR rose
simply defined as the convergence by 36.5% in 2021 to US$2.6bn and is projected to increase
of physical and virtual worlds. In at a 24.1% CAGR between 2021 and 2026 to reach
US$7.6bn. The global active installed base of stand-alone
metaverses, users can access and tethered VR headsets is projected to grow from 21.6m
immersive virtual experiences, in 2021 to 65.9m in 2026. Every three days, a new app is

through a VR headset or other listed in the Quest app store.

connecting device, and attend Because the metaverse is an evolution that may profoundly

a soccer game on the other side change how businesses and consumers interact with
products, services and each other, its potential financial
of the world. They can remotely and economic value goes far beyond VR. In time, many or
see and shake hands with other all of the revenues associated with video games, live music
performances, advertising and even e-commerce could
fans, join in cheers and change migrate into the metaverse. Citibank has forecast that the
their position in the stadium to metaverse represents an opportunity of between US$8tn
and US$13tn through 2030.
see the action from different
vantage points.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 15

The precise path of growth is uncertain. What is certain is To date, much of the attention around NFTs has focused
that companies large and small, and even governments, on digital art and collectibles. The sports industry has
around the world are investing to create new experiences. quickly embraced the collectibles or memorabilia use case
In April 2022, Sony and Kirkbi, the holding company for for NFTs. Thousands of sports NFTs are bought and sold
the Lego Group, invested a combined US$2bn in Fortnite on platforms such as OpenSea, and quarterback Tom
developer Epic Games, aimed at funding Epic’s building Brady’s NFT startup, Autograph, raised US$170m in Series
of a gaming metaverse. English Premier League champion B funding in January 2022. In February 2022, Southeast
Manchester City FC entered a three-year deal with Sony Asia’s first physical NFT art gallery opened in Bali. In
that will see a virtual Etihad Stadium constructed in the Japan, NFTs have been launched for traditional Japanese
metaverse. The Swiss start-up collectID raised US$3.5m anime animations.
to build up its metaverse platform, allowing users to take
their clothes and accessories into the metaverse. The Like other markets in their early stages, the market for
Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority has set up a NFTs has been hampered by the volatility and scepticism
metaverse-based headquarters. that typically accompany the rise of a speculative and
unregulated activity. But the industry is rapidly moving
NFTs: Putting more power in the hands of creators on from specialising in collectibles to becoming an
The metaverse concept has become intertwined with accretive factor for the E&M industry. NFTs encourage
another buzzy phenomenon known as non-fungible tokens greater utility and engagement, and provide creators with
(NFTs). NFTs are unique sets of data created, recorded and a more effective way to communicate directly with their
stored on a blockchain—a distributed ledger—representing most passionate fans—and to monetise their creations.
ownership of a unique and non-interchangeable digital Musicians have been using NFTs to sell, for example, a
asset. These digital assets can either be integrated into a unique version of a single album or gig tickets or exclusive
virtual digital environment such as the metaverse or can bonus tracks and to receive systematic royalty streams
stand alone. from any downstream transaction involving the artist’s
tunes. Further, if fans contribute to the funding of the
NFTs with embedded smart contracts put power and creation of a music NFT by an artist, they may share
control over the assets and related rights back into a return in the future success and sales of that music,
the hands of creators. The blockchain-enabled and creating a uniquely engaged fan base. That is to say,
automated smart contracts that underpin NFTs offer NFTs offer consumers the ability to be owners—and to be
huge opportunities both for operational simplification and treated as such by content creators and distributors.
for building deeper trust with consumers and talent by
systematically allocating revenue or royalty back to the
artist or creator, for example.

NFTs have become a global phenomenon. In February

2021, somebody was willing to pay US$69m for an NFT
granting the owner the rights to display a digital image
by the artist Beeple. While the frequency of such giant
transactions may decline, there will be an accelerating
volume of smaller transactions as NFT use cases evolve
and NFTs are used in day-to-day interactions. According
to the Block, trading volume across the major NFT
exchanges has amounted to more than US$55bn in the
past 12 months. (This figure may include wash trading–
transactions in which the same party is on both sides
of the transaction.)

16 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

7 Regulation
and trust

The original premise and Global regulators engage

promise of the big platforms In recent years, the big tech companies have gained
significant market share, value and control over data. In
and digital world were that they response, regulators around the world are placing them
would be seamless, global and under pressure, examining their business practices with
the aim of boosting consumer protection and market
frictionless, with the interests of fairness. A 2021 study by the Pew Research Center found
the individual taking centre stage. that 68% of Americans believe these firms have too much
power and influence in the economy.
As E&M consumption, content and
interactions become increasingly In the US, President Joe Biden’s administration is pursuing

digital, data becomes ever more antitrust actions via the Federal Trade Commission, and
in early 2022 the Senate Judiciary Committee approved
central as the currency and raw legislation banning the tech giants from favouring their

material for consumer experiences. own offerings over those of competitors on their networks.
The EU has enacted the Digital Markets Act and the Digital
The treatment and protection of Services Act in an attempt to protect consumers and
personal and commercial data are create a more level playing field.

now also driving a wedge between Australia made world headlines with its News Media and
consumers and providers, and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code in 2021,
mandating that global tech players should pay for news
in turn between regulators and content that is hosted by or linked to on their digital
the regulated. Overlay these fault platforms. A year later, it’s been reported that Google has

lines with issues of geopolitics and 19 content deals with news organisations and Facebook
has 11. In Indonesia, the government is looking to follow
national economic and cultural Australia in imposing similar rules.

self-interest, and the regulation

picture will only grow more complex
through 2026. Regulatory action,
which always follows consumer
behaviour and adaptation,
continues to struggle to keep up.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 17

In China, the world’s largest video gaming market, worries Further fault lines may emerge over the regulation of NFTs
over the risks of young people becoming addicted have and cryptocurrencies, which is currently something of
prompted the Chinese government to ban people under a grey area. Biden recently signed an executive order
18 from playing online games on weekdays and to limit outlining a whole-of-government approach to digital
their weekend gaming to a maximum of three hours. For assets. The order validates the notion that assets such as
nine months between July 2021 and April 2022, China NFTs and cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins, are too
suspended the issuing of video games licenses. big to ignore and that the US must foster innovation so it
doesn’t lose a competitive edge. As with the regulation of
Tensions arise as regulation serves policy big tech, it’s going to remain difficult to separate crypto
Although most of these regulatory initiatives are regulation from national interests.
undertaken by individual countries, the fact that the
companies involved are global means that the impacts are
international—and that the regulations can become a form
of proxy for policy. China’s strict rules have kept at bay
foreign platforms wishing to operate within the country.
Russia blocked Facebook during its invasion of Ukraine.
And tensions have also arisen between apparent allies: in
2021, the US warned the EU against pursuing protectionist
regulatory policies that solely target US companies. In
February 2022, the Indian government, which has banned
TikTok since 2020, banned a further 54 Chinese apps—
including the popular Garena Free Fire—from being used
in the country, taking the total number of apps banned to
273. The basis for the bans is that the apps pose a threat
to users’ privacy.

18 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

8 Conclusion:
Strategic balance

As we look ahead to 2023 and An understanding of the forces that are creating the

beyond, the E&M industry will fractures in our world should inform the creation of
strategy. It has become clear that there is no easy solution
strive to maintain its balance in a to maintain a durable model for profitable growth in the
landscape riven by fault lines and coming years. The industry’s barriers to entry are too low,
and the pace of innovation and change too high, for any
fractures. But the overall growth one player to sustain competitive differentiation simply
path is both clear and strong. Over by operating as it has for the past five years. In sectors
with sharply diverging growth paths in different countries,
time, the increasing availability operating on a global basis now requires matching pricing
of compelling E&M content, models to purchasing power and saturation levels, often

services and experiences on a market-by-market basis. And, looking ahead, all

participants who seek to thrive in 2026 will need an ‘and’
will attract a greater share of strategy that goes beyond their core: great content and

consumers’ attention. multiple revenue streams and ties to broader commerce

plays and compelling immersive experiences.

For consumers, this remains very much a golden age, in The challenges are substantial—but so, too, are the rewards
which a vast array of content, services and experiences is for those able to meet consumers where they will be.
available at price points they can afford. For businesses,
however, intense competition and continual disruption
remain the order of the day. That means strategy can’t
remain static. The data clearly shows that the mix of
revenues and spending is changing rapidly. And as the
fault lines continue to proliferate and widen, it will be easy
to end up on the wrong side of disruption.

Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 19

Methodology and definitions

Historical data collection Definitions

All the forecasts have been built by starting with the Do you want access to consumer and advertising spending
collection of historical data from a variety of sources. A data at the click of a button? The Global Entertainment
baseline of accurate and comprehensive historic data & Media Outlook is a comprehensive source of global
is collected in the first instance from publicly available analyses and five-year forecasts of consumer and
information, including from trade associations and advertising spending for 14 segments across 52 territories:
government agencies. When this data is used directly,
these sources are cited accordingly. In addition to this, • Books

interviews with relevant associations, regulators and • Business-to-business

leading players have been conducted to gather insights • Cinema
and estimates not available in the public domain. When • Data consumption
this information is collected, it is used as part of the • Internet access
calculations, and the sources are proprietary. • Internet advertising
• Music, radio and podcasts
• Newspapers and consumer magazines
Forecasting methods
• OTT video
All forecasts are prepared as part of a collaborative,
• Out-of-home advertising
integrated process involving both quantitative and
qualitative analysis. The forecasts are the result of a • Traditional TV and home video
rigorous process of scoping, market mapping, data • TV advertising
collection, statistical modelling and validation. All data, • Video games and esports
charts and graphs, unless stated otherwise, in this • Virtual reality
publication are taken from the Global Entertainment &
Media Outlook 2022–2026.

20 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

Use and permissions

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Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 21

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Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026 23

Contributors

Werner Ballhaus
Christina J. Bangah
Rajiv Basu
Daniel J. Bunyan
Wilson W.Y. Chow
Jeremy Dalton
James Deponte
Ennèl van Eeden
Daniel Gross
Yusuke Harada
Diana El-Harakeh
Roberto G. Hernandez
Robert Kramer
Shruti Kumar
Constantine Okoye
Ricardo Queiroz
Emmanuelle S. Rivet
Dan Robins
Karim Sarkis
Triono Soedirdjo
Bart Spiegel
Charles Stuart
Subianto Subianto
Cecilia Yau

Many other professionals from the PwC entertainment and

media practice, across the network, reviewed and added
local expertise to this publication.

24 Perspectives from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2022–2026

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The entertainment and media
landscape is changing fast.
Are you keeping up?

Podcasts, music, streaming video, gaming, books,

advertising—these industries and more are undergoing a
profound transformation as we emerge from the pandemic.

Consumers are more empowered than ever, and markets are

evolving quickly.

The 23rd Annual Global Entertainment & Media Outlook

delivers key insights, offering five-year forecasts on 14
industry segments across 52 territories, all in a single digital
resource.

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Media Outlook 2022–2026.

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