India's Entertainment & Media Sector Set to Skyrocket: PwC Forecasts Massive Growth Outpacing Global Peers!

India's Entertainment and Media (E&M) sector is on a rapid growth trajectory, forecast to expand from $32.2 billion in 2024 to $47.2 billion by 2029, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8%. This performance is projected to be nearly double the global E&M industry's expected growth of 4.2% over the same period, according to the PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2025-29 report.

Key Drivers of Growth

• Digital Dominance: Rising digital participation, a large and growing youth base, and expanding broadband access are key factors.
• Content Consumption: Deeper consumption of online content is reshaping audience behavior across various formats.
• Consumer Demand: Consumers increasingly seek personalized experiences, immersive formats, and regional content.
• Economic Support: The sector's growth is bolstered by overall economic expansion and increased discretionary spending.
• Technological Advancement: Rapid adoption of digital services and the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping the value chain.

Segment Performance

• Internet Advertising: Expected to be the fastest-growing segment, with a 15.9% CAGR, moving from $6.25 billion in 2024 to $13.06 billion by 2029, driven by mobile-first consumption and regional campaigns.
• OTT Streaming: Projected to grow significantly, with revenues set to rise from $2.27 billion in 2024 to $3.47 billion by 2029, supported by regional content and direct-to-consumer models.
• Gaming & Esports: Mobile gaming, video gaming, and e-sports revenues are anticipated to increase from $2.79 billion in 2024 to $3.96 billion in 2029, driven by immersive formats and younger audiences.
• Traditional Media: TV is forecast to grow from $13.97 billion to $18.11 billion by 2029, while Print is expected to rise from $3.5 billion to $4.2 billion (3.3% CAGR).
• Sports Sector: Evolving into an institutional-grade asset class, the sports industry is projected to expand from $4.6–$5.0 billion in 2024 to $7.8 billion by 2029.

The AI Revolution in Media

• AI is playing a pivotal role by enabling scaled localization, automated editing, hyper-personalization, and the creation of new content formats.
• India's creator economy, powered by AI-enabled workflows, has grown into a substantial ecosystem influencing various lifestyle and entertainment verticals.

Future Expectations

• PwC India emphasizes that this growth represents a "business model rebirth," driven by technology like AI that fundamentally redefines content creation, discovery, monetization, and experience.
• The future lies in "connected ecosystems" where cloud platforms, AI innovators, creative powerhouses, and media enterprises collaborate to achieve greater scale and efficiency.

Impact

• This projected growth presents substantial opportunities for companies in India's entertainment and media sectors, potentially leading to increased investments, job creation, and enhanced consumer offerings.
• Investors can look forward to potential growth in companies focused on digital advertising, streaming services, gaming, and sports media.
• Impact Rating: 9/10

Difficult Terms Explained

• CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate): The average annual growth rate of an investment or market over a specified period, assuming profits are reinvested.
• E&M (Entertainment and Media): Refers to the collective industries involved in creating and distributing entertainment content and media.
• OTT (Over-The-Top): Refers to streaming services that deliver content directly to viewers over the internet, bypassing traditional cable or satellite providers.
• AI (Artificial Intelligence): Technology that enables machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Creator Economy: A sector of the economy focused on online content creators, their platforms, and the tools and services that support them.
• Monetisation: The process of converting something (like content, data, or a service) into revenue or profit.