The media and entertainment industries have been revolutionised by digitalisation, as everything one once knew as only tactile now can be represented in a digital form. Online platforms are becoming super competitive, offering numerous models for both engagement and advertising.
Wielding superior tech like augmented reality and machine learning, they launch products that create mass craze and draw in untapped audiences. From streaming to cloud gaming and the Korean Wave, the following trends are reshaping entertainment as we know it.
Ready to discover the latest and hottest trends taking over the entertainment industry?
Cloud gaming
The gaming industry is witnessing major breakthroughs right now. The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are Generation X in the world of consoles. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are expected to rise at 22% per year until 2030, as P&S Intelligence studies show, and are making rapid strides. Esports is gaining serious momentum, and mobile gaming is reaching new heights of popularity. However, the most important shift these days and beyond might be the rise of cloud gaming.
With over 3.2BN gamers worldwide—and only a fraction using high-end hardware—cloud gaming offers the possibility to stream games directly from remote servers to mobile devices. The processing happens elsewhere, no matter if you’re using a smart TV, smartphone, or even an old laptop.
Big names like Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation®Plus, and Nvidia’s GeForce Now hold sway over the rising industry. The launch of Starfield as a day-one title on Game Pass marked a major milestone in cloud gaming’s mainstream journey.
Notably, questions remain about the model’s sustainability for devs, users, and platforms alike. Other than this, you can expect to see increasing investment and curiosity around cloud-based subscriptions this year and beyond.
Podcasting
Podcasts have reached everyone’s heart, from the digital-first Zoomer to the multi-tasking millennial and to the Boomers who are familiarizing themselves with YouTube and Spotify. According to Edison Research studies, 32% of podcast consumers now deem it their top audio platform – considerably more compared to 26% of that market in 2016. Numberless podcast trends are circulating, and statistics are taking readers aback, from industry size to listener numbers, making it difficult to find a starting point. What’s compelling is that in the US only, around 162MN individuals listen to this spoken-word audio at least once a month.
Right now, more than 3MN active podcasts exist and are consumed regularly, with amateur content springing up daily. The industry’s professionalism continues to rise, driven by the growing interest that motivates both entrepreneurial individuals and those seeking to amplify their voices on various causes. As a result, more are investing in high-end hardware, online platforms, and other advanced tools.
Bigwig brands like Gucci and Microsoft are leveraging this medium for marketing purposes, so podcasts’ involvement in entertainment is only gaining new nuances. Podcast networks strive to leverage current and popular events and TV shows, capitalising on what’s trending. At the same time, podcast networks are buying and building new series.
Fun with stakes
The landscape of entertainment is witnessing a significant shift, driven in part by the rising popularity of online gambling. The iGaming industry makes great progress thanks to the quick traction of the latest technologies like AI, blockchain, Web3, and Virtual Reality. From the digital-first player to the most skilled developer and the leading casino software provider, all need to stay ahead of these breakthroughs to maximise the gaming experience. As users transition from the traditional brick-and-mortar to the multifaceted and continually expanding digital realm, the appeal and accessibility of online casinos are expected to attract an increasing number of newcomers. It’s the impact of this rising trend that reminds everyone to equip themselves with the best safety practices before getting started.
Online gambling services have focused on convenience, sleek design, and on-demand access – much like streaming platforms and mobile games. Whether it’s a quick poker game or spinning virtual slots, the digital gambling experience is designed with ease, speed, and engagement in mind. Moreover, modern platforms are leveraging trends from the whole entertainment realm, with examples ranging from live hosts to dynamic visuals and influencer-driven content. These enable a hybrid of gaming, media, and social connection that resonates with today’s gamers.
While conversations around regulation and responsible play remain vital, the appeal and accessibility of online gambling are undeniably drawing in new audiences. For many users, choosing the right betting partner—a platform that ensures entertainment, reliability, and trust—is becoming as important as the game they play or the amount they bet.
Hallyu
The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu, is a cultural phenomenon that reflects the rising popularity of popular culture in South Korea. This influence has gone global and has been surging since the 1990s, infiltrating the West in recent years.
Remember the mass craze around the Squid Game series? Netflix’s breakout Korean thriller registered a staggering 1.85BN hours of view time within 30 days of release, making it the platform’s most-watched show of all time. However, the cultural ripple goes beyond this. The world falls in love with everything South Korean. Livestreams and videos of people eating, aka mukbang, are attracting tens of millions of views from Western audiences on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. The group BTS and their fandom named ARMY captured international attention with their #HomeFest performance on The Late Late Show with world-known comedian and TV host James Corden, and multiple K-pop acts sold out tours across North America last year.
Korean dramas have also become a delightful pastime among global viewers. Google searches for these have spiked 3.8x over the past five years, and according to Netflix, more than six in ten individuals in the global user base has watched at least one.
Endnote
There are many more trends to keep on the radar. Think AI, avatars, virtual concerts, multiplayer games, and the list can go on. Digital-first companies are at the forefront of a revolution that’s deeply satisfying for today’s consumers and super profitable at the same time.