Entertainment & media revenues rebounding strongly from pandemic slump; shift to streaming, gaming and user-generated content is transforming industry: PwC

Werner Ballhaus, Global Entertainment & Media Industry Leader Partner, PwC Germany, said: "The pandemic slowed the entertainment and media industry last year, but it also accelerated and amplified power shifts that were already transforming the industry. Whether it's box office revenues shifting to streaming platforms, content moving to mobile devices, or the increasingly complex relationships among content creators, producers and distributors, the dynamics and power within the industry continue to shift. Our Outlook shows that the hunger for content, continued advances in technology and new business models and ways of creating value will drive the industry's growth for the next five years and beyond."

Werner Ballhaus, Global Entertainment & Media Industry Leader Partner, PwC Germany, said: "The pandemic slowed the entertainment and media industry last year, but it also accelerated and amplified power shifts that were already transforming the industry. Whether it's box office revenues shifting to streaming platforms, content moving to mobile devices, or the increasingly complex relationships among content creators, producers and distributors, the dynamics and power within the industry continue to shift. Our Outlook shows that the hunger for content, continued advances in technology and new business models and ways of creating value will drive the industry's growth for the next five years and beyond."

Generational shift: youth will be served

Not surprisingly, many younger consumers have little awareness of, or interest in, traditional media. On the other hand, media platforms designed for young consumers or that enable lightly-produced, authentic content have boomed. Gaming is central to the youth movement and is becoming a significant driver of data consumption – in fact it is on pace to be the fastest-growing content category in that regard, accounting for 6.1% of total data consumption globally by 2025, up from 4.7% in 2020.

Regulatory shifts: pushback on platforms

The regulatory scrutiny of big tech is yet another shift impacting E&M. Antitrust pressures have increased with calls to break up big tech platforms along with government proposals for new media regulations. Changes to current regulatory regimes are inevitable and it's vital that E&M players incorporate regulatory risks in their planning processes.

Werner Ballhaus, Global Entertainment & Media Industry Leader Partner, PwC Germany, concluded: "Even in the areas that offer the most compelling topline growth – like video streaming – the nature of competition is likely to change dramatically over the coming years. And all the while, the social, political, and regulatory context in which all companies operate continues to evolve in unpredictable ways. All of which means that sitting still, relying on the strategies that created value and locked up market share in the past, will not be the most effective posture going forward."

About the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook
The PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, with the accompanying "Power Shifts - 2021"  publication, provides in-depth analysis of global E&M consumer and advertising spending.  The Outlook includes five-year historical and five-year forecast data and commentary for 14 industry segments across 53 territories.  Segments include books; business-to-business; cinema; data consumption; internet access; music, radio and podcasts; newspapers and consumer magazines; OTT video; TV and home video; as well as internet, out-of-home and TV advertising. Find out more at www.pwc.com/outlook.

About PwC 
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We're a network of firms in 155 countries with over 284,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com. 

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. 

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