Media & Entertainment Industry Outlook 2025: Key Data & Innovation Insights

The 2025 Media & Entertainment Industry Outlook examines the sector’s current landscape. It covers growth trends, employment shifts, patent activity, innovation hubs, and investment patterns.

The media and entertainment market is estimated at USD 32.21 billion in 2025. It is projected to grow to USD 46.89 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% during the forecast period.

The report identifies key markets, major investors, and emerging startups influencing the media and entertainment sector. It explores technological advancements, including generative AI in content creation, ad-supported streaming models, and immersive experiences through augmented and virtual reality.

These insights enable industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to make informed decisions and adapt to the evolving media and entertainment landscape.

Executive Summary: Media & Entertainment Market Outlook 2025

• Industry Growth Overview: The media and entertainment industry expanded by 2.43% in the past year. Over 683 000 companies now operate globally, which shows steady sector growth. Moreover, the market is expected to reach USD 46.89 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
• Manpower & Employment Growth: The sector employs more than 33 million people. It added 2 million new workers in the last year. This is driven by digital content growth and platform innovation.
• Patents & Grants: The industry generated 456 400 patents and 26 000 grants. These numbers reflect ongoing technological progress and support for media innovation.
• Global Footprint: Major country hubs for media and entertainment include the USA, UK, India, Germany, and Canada. Prominent city hubs are London, New York City, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Singapore.
• Investment Landscape: The industry recorded 146 000 funding rounds with an average investment of USD 49.3 million per round. Further, over 74 300 investors contributed to 47 700 funded companies.
• Top Investors: Tencent, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, and more investors lead investment activity. Their combined investment exceeds USD 69 billion.
• Startup Ecosystem: Notable startups include Fellaz (Web3 entertainment ecosystem), AI Aware (AI-generated content detection), Fourth Star (immersive media streaming and metaverse), EINBLIQ.IO (real-time streaming analytics), and TaTaTu (social media reward platform).

Methodology: How we created this Media & Entertainment Report

This report is based on proprietary data from our AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, which tracks 7 million global companies, 20K+ technologies and trends as well as 150M patents, news articles and market reports. This data includes detailed firmographic insights into approximately 7 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies. Leveraging this exhaustive database, we provide actionable insights for startup scouting, trend discovery, and technology landscaping.

For this report, we focused on the evolution of media & entertainment over the past 5 years, utilizing our platform’s trend intelligence feature. Key data points analyzed include:

• Total Companies working in the sector
• News Coverage and Annual Growth
• Market Maturity and Patents
• Global Search Volume & Growth
• Funding Activity and Top Countries
• Subtrends within media & entertainment

Our data is refreshed regularly, enabling trend comparisons for deeper insights into their relative impact and importance.

Additionally, we reviewed trusted external resources to supplement our findings with broader market data and predictions, ensuring a reliable and comprehensive overview of the media & entertainment market.

What Data is used to create this Media & Entertainment Market Report?

Based on data provided by the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, we observe that the media & entertainment market stands out in the following categories relative to the 20K+ technologies and trends we track.

These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the market’s key metrics and inform the future direction of the market.

• News Coverage & Publications: There are over 4900 news articles and reports related to media and entertainment that were published last year.
• Funding Rounds: Investors remain engaged across various media formats and business models, with 146 000 funding rounds tracked in our database.
• Manpower: The industry employs 33 million people and added 2 million new workers last year.
• Patents: It generated 456 400 patents that are advancing content technology, distribution platforms, and media tools.
• Grants: More than 26 000 grants supported research, education, and cultural programming, which strengthens industry growth.
• Yearly Global Search Growth: There is a rising consumer engagement with digital trends. It is evident by the increase of 9.89% in the last year in global search interest in media and entertainment.

Explore the Data-driven Media & Entertainment Market Report for 2025

Social media platforms play a central role in the modern entertainment ecosystem. As of February 2025, 5.56 billion people worldwide used the internet, representing 67.9% of the global population. Among them, 5.24 billion, or 63.9%, were active on social media.

According to Mordor Intelligence, the media and entertainment market is projected to grow from USD 32.21 billion in 2025 to USD 46.89 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 7.8%.

Credit: Mordor Intelligence

With 683 000 companies operating in the industry and a yearly growth rate of 2.43%, the sector continues to expand. Intellectual property development supports this progress.

The media sector has produced over 456 400 patents and secured 26 000 grants.

Moreover, the global intellectual property (IP) market in media and entertainment is expected to grow to USD 22.9 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 7.2% from 2023 to 2032.

Leading technology and entertainment corporations dominate patent filings in digital media. Meta Platforms Inc. holds 4661 patents published between 2002 and 2022. Microsoft Corp. follows with 4257, while IBM has 4087, Tencent Holdings Ltd. holds 2849, and Sony Group Corp. has 2824.

Credit: Global Data

Further, the industry employs over 33 million people worldwide. Last year, 2 million new professionals joined, which reflects strong demand for creative, technical, and operational talent.

Key country hubs include the USA, UK, India, Germany, and Canada. Leading city hubs such as London, New York City, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Singapore anchor global activity.

A Snapshot of the Global Media & Entertainment Market

The media industry grew by 2.43% in the last year. This growth shows steady expansion as digital transformation reshapes audience behaviors.

Besides, the sector includes 19 300 early-stage startups, which is a reflection of ongoing entrepreneurial activity. Over 19 000 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals indicate continued consolidation and strategic shifts.

The patent filings within the media and entertainment sector total 456 400 from 176 000 applicants. It has a yearly growth rate of 1.57%. This trend signals stable innovation in media technologies.

Further, the USA leads intellectual property development with 173 000 patents. China follows with 67 000 patents, which demonstrates strong regional innovation.

Explore the Funding Landscape of the Media & Entertainment Market

The media and entertainment industry draws strong investor interest. Over 146 000 funding rounds have closed, and more than 47 700 companies have received capital.

Investors commit an average of USD 49.3 million per round. This supports content platforms, distribution technologies, and emerging digital experiences.

The sector includes 74 300 investors worldwide. These investors show confidence in media-driven ventures across regions and formats.

Who is Investing in the Media & Entertainment Market?

The top media industry investors have committed a total of USD 69 billion to support scalable, content-focused, and technology-driven platforms.

• Tencent invested USD 14.8 billion across 225 companies.
• General Atlantic backed 56 companies with USD 8 billion. In April 2025, it led a USD 300 million Series D round in Runway, an AI research firm specializing in generative media models.
• Sequoia Capital supported 264 companies with USD 8 billion. In June 2025, it led a USD 100 million investment in Mubi, valuing the indie streaming service at USD 1 billion.
• Tiger Global committed USD 6.9 billion to 130 companies.
• SoftBank funded 93 companies with USD 6.8 billion.
• Goldman Sachs allocated USD 6.7 billion across 128 companies.
• Bank of America invested USD 6.4 billion in 46 companies.
• Apollo committed USD 6.1 billion across 25 companies.
• CVC Capital Partners deployed USD 5.8 billion into 36 companies.
• GIC backed 44 companies with USD 5.8 billion.

Top Media & Entertainment Innovations & Trends

Discover the emerging trends in the media & entertainment market along with their firmographic details:

• Generative AI is a leading trend that automates content creation across video, text, animation, and audio. Over 16 500 companies operate in this space, and they are supported by a workforce of 944 000 employees. In the past year, 151 000 professionals joined the segment, which drove organizational growth and project expansion. Besides, it has an annual growth rate of 54.54%, which highlights the rising demand for AI-driven tools that enhance media personalization, accelerate production cycles, and streamline creative workflows.
• Immersive Entertainment is shaping interactive media through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). The sector includes 550+ companies with 49 900 employees. Further, 3300 new professionals joined in the past year. The annual growth rate of 20.47% shows the increasing demand for experiential content in gaming, live events, and digital environments. Moreover, companies are focusing on hardware-software integration and platform design to enhance multi-sensory audience engagement.
• Music NFTs are transforming intellectual property and monetization in the music industry. They enable direct ownership, revenue-sharing, and fan interaction through blockchain technology. A total of 149 companies operate in this segment, employing 1900 people. Last year, 400+ new professionals joined, which reflects increasing adoption despite its niche presence. Additionally, the annual growth rate of 46.94% highlights its potential to give artists decentralized control and create alternative income streams through tokenized music assets and virtual merchandise.

5 Top Examples from 44800+ Innovative Media & Entertainment Startups

The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.

Fellaz builds Web3 Entertainment Ecosystem

Singaporean startup Fellaz creates a multi-chain Web3 entertainment ecosystem that integrates blockchain, AI, and metaverse technologies. Its platform enhances how artists and fans engage with content.

The startup supports the creation and distribution of both real-world and virtual talent. It combines traditional training with cross-platform digital presence.

The platform blends large-scale festivals, boutique shows, and hybrid events with AI, real-time interactivity, and virtual performances.

It enables tokenized engagement, fan-led governance, and co-created content, which turns fandom into an active economy.

Besides, fans are able to co-fund merchandise, get digital rewards through physical goods, and interact with branded venues to connect commerce, community, and content.

AI Aware develops AI Detector for Text and Speech

UK-based startup AI Aware builds a multimodal content detection platform that identifies AI-generated text, audio, images, and video. It applies hybrid analytical techniques for commercial, academic, and regulatory use.

Its AI text detector examines linguistic structure, logic, and creativity to distinguish human-written and machine-generated text. It highlights manipulated content at the sentence level and visualizes its distribution across documents.

The startup’s platform detects outputs from established and emerging models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok. It also flags attempts to humanize AI-generated content through post-processing.

Its audio deepfake detector analyzes voice recordings and video calls for signs of synthetic generation or manipulation. It integrates audio-text correlation and real-time detection to aid in countering misinformation and fraud.

Both detectors provide detailed grading, source attribution, and model identification to improve transparency and accuracy in content analysis.

Fourth Star offers Immersive Media Streaming

US-based startup Fourth Star develops a media streaming and metaverse platform that turns traditional entertainment into interactive virtual experiences. It uses 180°, 360°, and volumetric video formats to enhance engagement.

The startup allows users to explore over thirty environments, attend virtual concerts, join cinematic quests, and interact with AI-driven characters in customizable digital spaces like luxury apartments or personal spaceships.

The Player Portal enables users to personalize avatars, select AI companions, and access entertainment across games, movies, and social experiences within a unified VR interface.

Further, the Creator Portal allows filmmakers and animators to upload and monetize immersive content. It incorporates choreography AI, and agentic characters to improve storytelling.

Moreover, transactions and in-platform rewards operate through the Polygon-based Fourth Star Token (FSTR), which grants access to digital assets and exclusive features.

EINBLIQ.IO provides Streaming & Broadcast Analytics

German startup EINBLIQ.IO builds a real-time streaming analytics and automation platform that improves video delivery for over-the-top (OTT) providers and TV broadcasters. It identifies technical inefficiencies, lowers operational costs, and supports sustainability efforts.

The platform ingests client-side metrics, including common media client data (CMCD), to track user experience, detect buffering or stream interruptions, and provide relevant insights.

For OTT providers, it optimizes multiple content delivery networks (multi-CDN) performance using real-time quality, cost, and energy data. It automates content delivery decisions and ensures compliance with environmental reporting through precise energy tracking.

Additionally, for broadcasters, it enhances panel data with real-time audience analytics, automates banner playout during live programming, and enables regional performance comparisons to refine scheduling and content promotion.

TaTaTu rewards Social Media Interactions

Italian startup TaTaTu runs a blockchain-based social media and entertainment platform that rewards users with TTU Coins for engaging with content and social interactions.

It lets users earn tokens by watching videos, posting photos, and interacting with others through likes, comments, shares, and friend invitations. These tokens are redeemed in auctions and e-commerce purchases.

TaTaTu’s transparent reward system redistributes advertising revenue to users and content creators to promote a fairer digital entertainment ecosystem.

Gain Comprehensive Insights into Media & Entertainment Trends, Startups, and Technologies

The advancements in AI-driven personalization, decentralized content models, and interactive platforms are driving growth in the media and entertainment industry.

Emerging technologies, including virtual influencers, spatial computing, and synthetic voice applications, are redefining content engagement. Companies are focusing on agility, innovation, and cross-platform strategies to stay ahead.

Get in touch to explore 44800+ startups and scaleups, as well as all market trends impacting media & entertainment companies.