Subscriptions to online video services rose 26 percent in 2020 to 1.1 billion, according to a report from the US-based Motion Picture Association. The total home/mobile entertainment market reached USD 68.8 billion in global revenue last year, growing 23 percent.
The US took the largest share of the market. It counted an estimated 308.6 million streaming subscribers at year-end, up 32 percent from 2019. Entertainment revenues there rose 21 percent to USD 30 billion.
The surge in digital entertainment helped offset only in part the drop in box office sales caused by theatre closures during the pandemic. Including cinema take, the total entertainment market was down 18 percent in 2020 to USD 80.8 billion.
In addition to more subscribers, streaming services also attracted more usage during the pandemic. Over half of US adults (55%) reported that their viewing of movies or series through an online subscription service increased, while 46 percent reported that their viewing via pay TV increased.
