Industry

Eighty years ago, a television set in a hotel room was the ultimate symbol of modern luxury. Today, that same television lives in our pockets, travels across platforms, and fuels an industry worth over a trillion dollars. This dramatic evolution is not just technological—it is structural, economic, and cultural. 
In her recent presentation 12 Days of Christmas: 12 Media Facts, Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media & Entertainment at Omdia, outlined twelve data-backed realities that together map the current and future state of the global Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry. The picture that emerges is one of strong growth, profound asymmetries between markets, and an accelerating redefinition of what “television” actually means.

A Trillion-Dollar Industry Driven by Video
The global M&E sector has grown by $70 billion in just 12 months, reaching $1.1 trillion in 2025, up from $1.03 trillion in 2024. Crucially, 70% of this value is generated by video, with online video alone accounting for $487 billion, far surpassing traditional TV at $296 billion. Growth is steady, not explosive—but it is structurally resilient.
Looking ahead, online video and traditional TV combined will surpass $1 trillion in annual revenues by 2030, with advertising as the dominant engine. Online video advertising will represent 52% of total video revenues, confirming that scale, reach, and monetization efficiency matter more than pure subscription growth.

The United States Still Sets the Pace
Despite globalisation narratives, the United States remains the single most important M&E market worldwide. In 2025, the US represents 39% of global M&E revenues and nearly half of all global online video revenues. No other market comes close in terms of monetisation power across video, gaming, and advertising.
This dominance also explains why structural shifts in the US—such as pay-TV erosion, FAST expansion, or platform consolidation—tend to anticipate global trends rather than follow them.

China’s Strategic Strongholds: Games and Microdramas
China does not dominate across the entire M&E spectrum, but it leads decisively in two fast-growing segments: gaming and microdramas. Microdramas—short, vertically produced, mobile-first narrative content—are expected to generate $11 billion in 2025, rising to $22 billion by 2030. While China still accounts for the majority of revenues, $3 billion will already come from outside China by 2026, signalling rapid internationalisation.
This growth is hardly surprising: smartphones are now the most-used video device globally, with over 70% monthly usage in markets like the US.

Europe: Fragmented, But Structurally Balanced
Europe tells a different story. Rather than extreme winners, the continent shows structural balance and fragmentation. Broadband and TV penetration are high across most markets, but SVOD adoption varies dramatically—from over 80% in the UK to just over 30% in countries like Poland or Sweden.
In revenue terms, Europe maintains a consistent share across all M&E segments, without the extreme concentration seen in the US or China. This creates challenges for scale, but also opportunities for local production, public broadcasters, and hybrid partnership models.

YouTube: Platform, Broadcaster, Infrastructure
Is YouTube the world’s number one video service? By users, unquestionably yes. Across all major markets and devices, YouTube ranks first in monthly video usage, ahead of Netflix, Instagram Reels, and Facebook Video.
But YouTube’s role goes further. Advertising revenues are increasingly shifting toward connected TVs, and YouTube TV has already become the third-largest pay-TV operator in the US, on track to become number one by 2027. YouTube is no longer just a creator platform—it is rapidly becoming core audiovisual infrastructure.
At the same time, the myth of the creator economy is tempered by scale reality: 20 million videos are uploaded to YouTube every day, and becoming the next MrBeast remains statistically exceptional, not replicable.

The Battle for the Living Room: Roku vs. Vizio
In North America, Roku is still the leading TV platform today, but the landscape is shifting fast. Walmart’s decision to move its own-branded TV sets from Roku OS to Vizio OS will dramatically alter future scale. By 2029, Vizio OS is projected to become the largest smart TV platform in North America, pushing Roku down to fourth place.
Hardware, retail partnerships, and operating systems are once again central to strategic advantage.

Korean Content as a Global Reference Model
Few trends are as clear as the global rise of Korean content. On Netflix, Korean titles represent just 7% of available titles, but generate 13% of total viewing hours, outperforming Japanese and Spanish content. Netflix now carries more Korean titles than any other international streamer in Europe and the Americas.
K-content—across drama, film, variety, FAST, and music—has become a structural pillar of global demand, not a temporary cultural wave.

FAST and Partnerships: Scale Through Alliances
FAST revenues are expected to double over the next five years, approaching $11 billion by 2030, with 76% of revenues coming from the US, but strong growth also visible in markets like the UK, Brazil, and parts of Europe.
Partnerships are the common denominator across the industry. Broadcasters seek reach, streamers seek engagement, and platforms like YouTube increasingly function as amplification layers rather than competitors. The emerging consensus is clear: no single player wins alone.

A Final Inflection Point?
The presentation closes with a provocative scenario: if Netflix succeeds in turning itself into a major theatrical force, it would mark the first time a streaming-first company reshapes cinema from the inside out. Whether or not this happens, the direction of travel is unmistakable.
The audiovisual industry is no longer defined by devices, distribution, or even content alone—but by scale, partnerships, and the ability to operate across ecosystems. The twelve facts outlined by Omdia do not just describe the market. They define its new grammar.