Online Media Global Market Report 2025

Online media is the digital content distributed through the internet, including websites, social media platforms, blogs, and streaming services. It allows users to access, share, and engage with information, videos, images, and audio in real time.

The key types of online media include video, music, news, and games. Video media involves online streaming of movies, television shows, short clips, live broadcasts, and user-generated content. The devices used include smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops, smart televisions, and others. The revenue models include subscription, advertising, pay-per-view, freemium, and others. The key applications include entertainment, news and information, education and e-learning, marketing and advertising, and social networking, utilized by individuals, enterprises, educational institutions, and other users.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The rapid escalation of U.S. tariffs and the resulting trade tensions in spring 2025 are significantly impacting the media sector, particularly in content production, broadcasting, and digital distribution. Higher duties on imported audiovisual equipment, editing software, and broadcast technology have increased production and operational costs for media companies. Film and television studios face added expenses for sourcing foreign-made cameras, lighting systems, and post-production tools, while news and broadcasting agencies are contending with inflated costs for transmission equipment and satellite services. Moreover, retaliatory tariffs in international markets are restricting the export of U.S.-produced media content, limiting global revenue potential. In response, media organizations are turning to domestic suppliers, expanding digital platforms, and investing in AI-driven content creation to streamline operations and preserve competitiveness in a volatile global trade environment.

The online media market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides online media market statistics, including online media industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a online media market share, detailed online media market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the online media industry. This online media market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The online media market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $439.7 billion in 2024 to $499.61 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6%. The growth in the historic period is driven by the expansion of broadband internet, increased smartphone adoption, growth of social media platforms, proliferation of video streaming services, and rising demand for personalized content.

The online media market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $841.82 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be connected to growing smartphone and internet penetration, increasing digital advertising spend, increasing social media integration, expansion of OTT platforms, and rising consumption of live and interactive content. Major trends in the forecast period include AI driven content personalization, advancements in interactive live streaming, blockchain based digital rights management, multi platform integration, and enhanced data analytics for targeted advertising.

The increase in social media engagement is expected to support the growth of the online media market going forward. Social media engagement refers to the interaction between users and content on social platforms, measured through actions such as likes, comments, shares, clicks, and follows. The rise in social media engagement is fueled by widespread smartphone use, which enables people to access platforms at any time, encouraging continuous interaction and keeping users more connected online. Online media enhances social media engagement by offering diverse content, real-time updates, and interactive features that motivate users to like, share, comment, and remain actively connected across multiple platforms. For instance, in September 2025, according to Pew Research Center, a United States-based nonpartisan research organization, Facebook and YouTube were the leading social media platforms where Americans regularly accessed news, while smaller shares used Instagram (20 percent), TikTok (17 percent), and X, formerly Twitter (12 percent), for news consumption. Therefore, the increase in social media engagement is supporting the growth of the online media market.

Leading companies in the online media market are prioritizing innovative strategies such as subscription-based models to establish recurring revenue streams, strengthen customer retention, and deliver personalized content experiences. A subscription-based model is a business strategy in which users pay a regular fee, typically monthly or annually, to maintain continuous access to products or services. For instance, in August 2025, ESPN Inc., a US-based sports media organization, introduced a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming platform that provides extensive access to ESPN channels, live sporting events, studio programs, documentaries, and exclusive content through an enhanced ESPN app and online interface-eliminating reliance on traditional cable or satellite services. The platform includes two subscription options, ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select (which also incorporates ESPN+ content), featuring personalized tools such as an AI-powered SportsCenter, fantasy sports integration, interactive engagement features, and bundle options with Disney+ and Hulu. This initiative represents a major step forward in transforming the way audiences experience and interact with sports media.

In January 2025, T-Mobile US Inc., a US-based wireless network operator, acquired Vistar Media Inc. for $600 million. Through this acquisition, T-Mobile aims to enhance its advertising capabilities by incorporating Vistar Media's programmatic digital-out-of-home technology to improve targeting, broaden audience reach, and deliver more effective campaigns across an extensive digital screen network. Vistar Media Inc. is a US-based digital-out-of-home media company.

Major players operating in the online media market are Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon Web Services Inc., Apple Inc., Netflix Inc., Spotify AB, ByteDance Ltd., Adobe Inc., HubSpot Inc., Jiostar India Private Limited, Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., NBCUniversal Media LLC, Roku Inc., Hulu LLC, Dow Jones & Company Inc., The New York Times Company, Conde Nast, VICE Media LLC, Vox Media LLC, People Inc., Prisma Media, Ziff Davis Inc., Naspers Limited, Penske Media Corporation, Hotmart S.A., Crunchyroll LLC, Medium Corporation, Consumers Unified LLC, Getty Images Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, Warner Music Group Corp., NEXON Mediatech Co. Ltd., Bauer Media Group GmbH, Media Prima Berhad, Axel Springer SE, SoundCloud Ltd., OneFootball GmbH, theSkimm Inc., Zee Media Corporation Ltd., Living Media India Limited, HT Media Ltd., THG Publishing Pvt. Ltd., ABP Network Pvt. Ltd., NDTV Convergence Limited, NetEase Inc., The Walt Disney Company, Comcast Corporation, Snap Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Tencent Holdings Limited.

North America was the largest region in the online media market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the online media market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The countries covered in the online media market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The online media market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as bioinformatics services, genomic sequencing and analysis, and molecular diagnostics support. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The online media market also includes of sales of bioinformatics software, gene sequencing kits, synthetic biology tools, laboratory automation instruments and molecular diagnostic kits. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

Online Media Global Market Report 2025 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.

This report focuses on online media market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.

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Where is the largest and fastest growing market for online media ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The online media market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.

The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.

• The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.
• The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, and forecasting its development.
• The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include:

The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include the technological advancements such as AI and automation, Russia-Ukraine war, trade tariffs (government-imposed import/export duties), elevated inflation and interest rates.

• Market segmentations break down the market into sub markets.
• The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth.
• The competitive landscape chapter gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.
• The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers.

Scope

• Markets Covered:1) By Type: Video, Music, News, Games
• 2) By Device: Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops And Desktops, Smart Televisions, Other Devices
• 3) By Revenue Model: Subscription, Advertising, Pay-Per-View, Freemium, Other Revenue Models
• 4) By Application: Entertainment, News And Information, Education And E-Learning, Marketing And Advertising, Social Networking
• 5) By End-User: Individuals, Enterprises, Educational Institutions, Other End-Users
• Subsegments:
• 1) By Video: Streaming Platforms, Short Form Clips, Live Broadcasts, Educational Videos, User Generated Content
• 2) By Music: Streaming Services, Online Radio, Music Videos, Podcasts, Live Concerts
• 3) By News: Digital Newspapers, News Websites, News Apps, Live News Streams, Newsletters
• 4) By Games: Mobile Games, Browser Games, Console Games, Virtual Reality Games, Online Multiplayer Games
• Companies Mentioned: Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon Web Services Inc., Apple Inc., Netflix Inc., Spotify AB, ByteDance Ltd., Adobe Inc., HubSpot Inc., Jiostar India Private Limited, Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., NBCUniversal Media LLC, Roku Inc., Hulu LLC, Dow Jones & Company Inc., The New York Times Company, Conde Nast, VICE Media LLC, Vox Media LLC, People Inc., Prisma Media, Ziff Davis Inc., Naspers Limited, Penske Media Corporation, Hotmart S.A., Crunchyroll LLC, Medium Corporation, Consumers Unified LLC, Getty Images Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, Warner Music Group Corp., NEXON Mediatech Co. Ltd., Bauer Media Group GmbH, Media Prima Berhad, Axel Springer SE, SoundCloud Ltd., OneFootball GmbH, theSkimm Inc., Zee Media Corporation Ltd., Living Media India Limited, HT Media Ltd., THG Publishing Pvt. Ltd., ABP Network Pvt. Ltd., NDTV Convergence Limited, NetEase Inc., The Walt Disney Company, Comcast Corporation, Snap Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Tencent Holdings Limited.
• Countries: Australia; Brazil; China; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Russia; South Korea; UK; USA; Canada; Italy; Spain.
• Regions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa
• Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
• Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, GDP proportions, expenditure per capita,
• Data Segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments.
• Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.
• Delivery Format: PDF, Word and Excel Data Dashboard.