Mumbai: The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 released by PwC India projects that India’s entertainment and media (E&M) market will grow from USD 25.7 billion in 2025 to USD 36.7 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%.
According to the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030, India’s E&M industry is expected to grow at nearly twice the global industry growth rate of 4% over the same period.
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 highlights a broader transformation in India’s E&M sector, with the market moving from a scale-driven model towards value creation.
While audience acquisition was a key driver of India’s first phase of digital growth, the next phase is expected to focus more on monetising engagement, improving revenue generation and developing sustainable user economics.
This shift is being supported by digital ecosystems, regional content and technology-led revenue streams.
Regional language content is emerging as a significant growth engine, helping media companies reach new audiences and identify additional monetisation opportunities across India’s diverse linguistic markets.
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 also identifies internet advertising, OTT video and gaming as key contributors to incremental growth in India’s E&M sector.
Advertising-supported models are creating new monetisation opportunities across digital media, while traditional television and print continue to show resilience in India despite declines in several global markets.
Regional content is also becoming increasingly important as platforms seek to reach and monetise India’s diverse audiences. The combination of connectivity, digital platforms, advertising and technology is contributing to the evolution of India’s entertainment and media landscape.
Rajesh Sethi, Partner and Leader – Media, Entertainment, and Sports, PwC India, said, “India has already demonstrated its ability to build audience scale.
The next phase is about converting that engagement into sustainable value. AI is beginning to improve how content is created, discovered, and personalised, while regional storytelling and premium experiences are creating new ways to deepen engagement and monetisation.
Companies that combine innovation with relevance, operational discipline, and trust will be best placed to lead the next phase of growth.”
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Internet Advertising Remains Primary Growth Engine
According to the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030, internet advertising revenue in India is projected to nearly double from USD 7.5 billion in 2025 to USD 14.3 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 13.9%.
Search and video advertising are expected to support this expansion, creating further opportunities for digital media platforms and advertisers. The growth of internet advertising is expected to remain central to the overall expansion of India’s E&M market.
OTT Video Shifts Focus from Subscriber Scale to Monetisation
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 projects that India’s OTT market will grow from USD 2.2 billion in 2025 to USD 3.6 billion by 2030, representing a CAGR of 10.2%.
Advertising-supported offerings are becoming an important monetisation lever alongside subscriptions. At the same time, OTT platforms are increasingly focusing on engagement, retention, revenue per user, premium content and regional programming.
The shift indicates a growing emphasis on converting audience engagement into sustainable revenue rather than relying solely on subscriber growth. Regional programming is also expected to play an increasingly important role in reaching India’s diverse audiences.
Gaming and E-Sports Expand Revenue Models
India’s video games and e-sports segment is another major growth area identified in the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030.
Revenue from video games and e-sports is projected to rise from USD 1.5 billion in 2025 to USD 2.6 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.3%.
As the market matures, in-game advertising, sponsorship-led e-sports and recurring revenue models are expected to play a greater role. These models are aimed at converting audience engagement into more sustainable revenue streams.
AI and Technology Reshape E&M Value Chain
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 points to artificial intelligence as an increasingly important technology across the E&M value chain. AI is being applied across content creation, production, discovery, advertising and audience engagement.
Applications include pre-visualisation, de-ageing, multilingual voice modelling, virtual production, generative engine optimisation (GEO), personalisation and recommendation systems. AI is also creating opportunities to improve operational efficiency and monetisation.
The increasing integration of AI into media and entertainment is taking place alongside broader developments in connectivity and digital ecosystems. Together, these technologies are influencing how content is created, distributed, discovered and monetised.
Connectivity Becomes Critical Enabler of Digital Media
According to the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030, data connectivity revenue in India is expected to increase from USD 36.5 billion in 2025 to USD 58.6 billion by 2030, representing a CAGR of 9.9%.
The expansion of mobile, broadband, fibre and 5G infrastructure is supporting richer content experiences, new advertising models and larger addressable audiences across India’s digital ecosystem.
Connectivity is therefore emerging as a critical enabler for the growth of digital media, helping platforms and content providers engage audiences across an increasingly connected market.
Premium Live and Out-of-Home Experiences Create New Opportunities
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 also highlights the growing role of premium live and out-of-home experiences across music, sports and cinema.
Consumers are demonstrating a greater willingness to pay for immersive, exclusive and differentiated experiences.
Premium ticketing, hospitality-led offerings and higher-value cinema formats are shifting value creation towards spending per consumer and opening new revenue pools.
This trend is creating opportunities for the entertainment industry to build value beyond audience reach and towards higher-value consumer experiences.
Traditional TV and Print Continue to Show Resilience
Despite declines across several mature global markets, traditional television and print continue to demonstrate resilience in India, according to the Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030.
Traditional TV revenue is projected to grow modestly from USD 7.2 billion in 2025 to USD 7.5 billion by 2030. Newspaper revenue is expected to increase from USD 3.0 billion to USD 3.5 billion during the same period.
The continued growth of these segments in India reflects the strength of regional audiences, advertiser demand, trusted brands and deeper integration between traditional and digital channels.
India’s E&M Sector Moves Towards Sustainable Value Creation
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 indicates that India’s E&M market is entering a phase in which value creation will depend increasingly on the ability to monetise engagement sustainably rather than reach alone.
As infrastructure, connectivity, platforms, advertising and AI increasingly converge, building trust with consumers, advertisers and creators will be critical to translating technology-led innovation into long-term value.
“India’s E&M sector is entering a period of meaningful transformation. The opportunity ahead will extend beyond expanding audiences and platforms to building stronger connections between content, technology, and consumer experiences.
As these ecosystems become more integrated, organisations will need to rethink how they create value, collaborate across the industry, and build trust in an increasingly AI-enabled environment.
The leaders of the next phase will be those that can turn this convergence into distinctive, sustainable, and responsible growth’, Sethi added.
The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 therefore projects a continued expansion of India’s entertainment and media industry, driven by internet advertising, OTT video, gaming, connectivity, AI, regional content and premium consumer experiences, alongside the continued resilience of traditional television and print.
