Entertainment

Futuresource Consulting has appointed David Watkins as its new Director of Consumer Electronics & Media, reinforcing the company’s commitment to intensifying its global influence across entertainment, devices and connected ecosystems.

After years of disruption, the global entertainment market is entering a period of recalibration. Futuresource Consulting’s latest Living with Digital consumer research shows that audiences are rediscovering the cinema experience while maintaining healthy engagement with digital formats. Rather than competing, the two are now feeding into one another, and that’s a clear sign of a sector in harmony. 

The global video games software market has switched to growth mode, with Futuresource Consulting’s latest industry report projecting an 11% rise in 2025, lifting total software revenues to $186 billion. The expansion follows a solid 4.5% increase in 2024, driven by mobile gaming, new console launches, and a structural shift towards digital content and subscription models. 

Headphones have already captured the hearts and wallets of consumers, ranking in third position for ownership after smartphones and TVs, and cementing their role as an essential everyday device. Now, Futuresource Consulting’s latest Audio Tech Lifestyles report reveals how ownership, usage and replacement habits are evolving.

Children have been growing up in a digital-first world for some time now, and it is reshaping the concept of childhood. With devices now central to learning, play and social connection, Futuresource Consulting’s latest Kids Tech Whitepaper explores the influence of screen-based technology. Connectivity pervades all aspects of children’s lives, influencing everything from classroom engagement to after-school entertainment, and the new report is available to download for free. 

India’s video entertainment market is in a transition phase, with total consumer spend slipping 2% in 2024 to INR713.6 billion. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest Video Insights India report, which reveals Pay-TV and box office declines weighed on the market, while subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) powered ahead with double-digit growth. 

The UK video entertainment market is holding its course, with total consumer spend expected to rise 2% in 2025 to £11.4 billion. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest Video Insights UK report, which highlights subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) as the powerhouse of growth, alongside a stronger year for box office and signs of stabilisation in transactional video.

China’s video entertainment sector paused for breath in 2024, as total consumer spend dipped 4% to RMB202 billion (equivalent to 28 billion US dollars). But the story doesn’t end there. A new report from Futuresource Consulting reveals an industry in motion, with a shift in focus rather than a loss of momentum. From evolving platform strategies to new monetisation models, China is actively repositioning for more sustainable, long-term growth.

Canada’s video entertainment sector continues its steady expansion, achieving 1% value growth in 2024, and with total consumer spend projected to increase by 3% in 2025. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest video insights report, which points to a market worth CA$12.4 billion by the end of the year. 

The esports industry is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the rapid integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These immersive technologies are not just enhancing the viewing experience—they are fundamentally reshaping how fans engage with esports events, turning passive spectators into active participants.

At Futuresource, we’re seeing a transformative shift in the XR (Extended Reality) landscape. In our latest Future Session, Nikolaos Tzoumerkas, Lead Analyst XR unpacks the trends redefining the space, from immersive gaming to AI-powered smart glasses. 

The Nordic video entertainment market continues to achieve forward momentum, with total consumer spend closing in on $8 billion USD across Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland in 2024. That’s according to the latest set of reports from Futuresource Consulting, which forecasts steady CAGR growth of 3% through to 2029, to reach $9.5 billion by the end of the decade.

The global XR (Extended Reality) hardware market is gaining serious momentum, fuelled by a wave of innovation across Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and emerging wearable categories. 

Buoyed by surging consumer appetites, the global music market is charting a course towards new growth. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest report, which forecasts music streaming subscriptions will exceed 1 billion by the end of 2027, climbing to 1.2 billion by 2029. Meanwhile, physical media continues to carve out a growing niche in this increasingly digital market.

The entertainment industry is being reshaped across all of its three vectors. Music, video and games industries are lining up for a year of transformation. But where are the strategic opportunities? And how can businesses capture and hold the attention of consumers in 2025 and beyond?

Futuresource Consulting has published its latest wave of Kids Tech consumer research, uncovering the complex and fast-evolving relationships that children aged three to sixteen have with digital technology. Based on interviews with more than 5,500 parents and guardians across France, Germany, the UK and USA, the study examines the devices children use, the content they consume, and the role of technology in both entertainment and learning.