The global entertainment and media industry is projected to grow at a 7.3 percent compound annual growth rate, from $1.3 trillion last year to $1.8 trillion in 2009, spurred by improved economic conditions, an advertising upswing, and increased focus on online distribution of music, films, books and video games, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Fueled by broadband adoption, the Internet sector for entertainment and media is expected to grow at a 17 percent CAGR, reaching $289 billion in 2009, while online advertising will grow at a 16 percent CAGR to $32 billion the same year. New spending streams on broadband and wireless distribution platforms will grow revenues for those sectors from $11.4 billion in 2004 to nearly $73 billion by 2009. "The entertainment and media industry continues to display an extraordinary ability to reinvent itself and create new revenue streams through innovative offerings that barely existed as recently as 2000," said PwC's Wayne Jackson. "Online and wireless video games, online film rental subscriptions, licensed digital distribution of music, and the rapid adoption of ring tones and mobile music downloads are becoming critical components of the industry and driving significant revenues across all regions."
The global smartphone market closed 2025 with a story less about recovery and more about transformation. Premium product, ecosystem lock-in, and manufacturing scale are now the forces shaping competition. For business and technology leaders, the latest IDC market study data confirms that smartphones remain a critical indicator of consumer demand, supply chain health, and AI commercialization at the edge. Smartphone Market Development Global smartphone shipments grew 2.3 percent year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching 336.3 million units and bringing full-year volumes to 1.26 billion units — a modest 1.9 percent annual increase, according to IDC. This smartphone growth emerged despite a memory shortage crisis, tariff volatility, supply chain disruption, and macroeconomic headwinds. What stabilized demand? Two factors: sustained growth in premium devices and strong foldable momentum, combined with accelerated purchases as consumers bought ahead of anticipated price increases. Buyers weren...