Irish Entertainment & Media Poised for a €1bn Explosion by 2029 — Are You Ready to Cash In on the Next Big Wave?

Ever wonder how the Irish Entertainment & Media scene keeps growing even when the economy throws curveballs? Well, the latest PwC report spills the beans: the industry’s poised to hit a whopping €7.5 billion by 2029, up from €6.4 billion today. That’s no small potatoes! With internet advertising and video-on-demand fueling this steady climb, Ireland’s media landscape is buzzing with opportunity—even as consumer spending takes a cautious step. Globally, the stakes are even higher, with revenues expected to soar to €3 trillion by 2029. The game is changing fast, driven by tech leaps like 5G and AI, reshaping how content is created, delivered, and monetized. So, how can businesses stay nimble and cash in on this growth without getting left behind? Grab a coffee, because this insight-packed forecast might just rewrite your playbook. LEARN MORE

The Irish Entertainment & Media (E&M) industry is set be worth €7.5bn by 2029 according to a new PwC report.

The industry, which is currently estimated to be worth €6.4bn, is expected to grow as internet advertising and video on demand continues to expand.

Global revenues are forecast to reach €3trn in 2029, up from €2.5trn in 2024. 

This is according to PwC’s latest Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2025-2029, the 26th annual analysis and forecast of E&M spending by consumers and advertisers across 54 countries and territories and published in Ireland today. 

The Outlook covers Ireland’s E&M industry including sectors such as cinema; connectivity service; internet advertising; music, radio and podcasts; newspapers, consumer magazines and books; out-of-home (OOH) advertising; video-on-demand (VOD); traditional TV and video games. 

Amid economic uncertainty, slower growth in consumer spending and heightened competition both domestically and internationally, the Irish E&M industry has still shown steady growth.

Total Irish E&M revenues rose 3% from €6.2bn in 2023 to €6.4bn in 2024.

Projected annual growth to 2029 in the Irish market (3.3% CAGR) is behind the global forecast of 3.7% CAGR, mostly due to the slower growth in the Video Gaming segment which is largely down to the decline of traditional gaming. 

Speaking at the launch, Amy Ball, Partner, PwC Ireland Entertainment & Media Practice, said: “As the E&M industry continues to be impacted by broader economic uncertainty and slower consumer spending, the Irish E&M industry continues to show steady growth and resilience.

“Advertising is emerging as the leading powerhouse of the Irish entertainment and media industry’s revenues – a transformation expected to continue as AI transforms delivery models, democratises content production, serves highly curated content experiences and reduces barriers to entry.

“The E&M industry has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, but companies will need to remain nimble and proactive to embrace the future and satisfy consumers in an ecosystem that rewards creativity and tailored content.” 

The report makes a number of forecasts about where the future growth will come from.

Ireland’s Internet Service revenues reached €2.6bn in 2024, accounting for more than 40% of Ireland’s total E&M revenue and is set to rise to €3.1bn in 2029.

Fixed broadband subscriptions in Ireland grew year-on-year in 2024 by 5.7% to 1.9 million and are expected to grow at 5% CAGR over the five-year period to 2.4 million.

The report notes Ireland has made significant strides in expanding 5G capabilities and since September 2020, all Irish mobile operators had launched commercial 5G services.

5G subscription penetration will overtake 4G in 2025 and is forecast to increase to a penetration of 182% by 2029 (which means that there will be more than one device using a sim card, relative to every person in Ireland).

Internet advertising revenue in Ireland will increase at a 9.2% CAGR between 2024 and 2029, increasing to €1.8bn.

Year-on-year growth was 12.4% in 2024 and will continue in double-digits until 2026, eventually slowing to 5.2% by 2029.

The fastest-growing market category is video advertising, which will see an increase at a 12.6% CAGR to €198m over the forecast period.

Digital advertising dominates the fastest-growing segments while physical media lags.

A look at the top three fastest-growing and the three fastest-declining Irish E&M metrics over the next five years reveals how value is in motion in this industry.

Internet advertising, whether generated from pure-play sources or from digital advertising revenues associated with other segments, such as ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD), dominates at the top end.

Several of the fastest-declining metrics, including physical PC games and print advertising in newspapers and magazines, have roots in physical media. 

The report also highlights the significant impact of AI on major E&M sectors.

Advertising, in particular, will be aided with hyper-personalisation of content to specific end-users more likely to purchase advertised products.

Naomi Ryan, Senior Manager, PwC Ireland Entertainment & Media Practice, concluded: “Consumers have never had as numerous or diverse choices of entertainment services on offer, but this competition, paired with economic uncertainty and rising costs, is seeing consumer E&M spend growth slow.

“If entertainment and media businesses are to capture new audiences and generate growth, they must be thinking about the connected ecosystems in which they operate.  

“They must leverage the power of advertising and AI, the combination of which is allowing for far more cost-effective and personalised content creation and engagement models.”