Global Home, Digital Entertainment Rose 31% In 2020, Theatrical Revenues Sank 72%

Although global consumer home entertainment and digital media revenues including streaming made dramatic gains in 2020 versus sinking theatrical and physical entertainment (DVDs), the worldwide entertainment market sank 18% to $80.8 billion. All findings are due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data comes from the Motion Picture Association.

Digital home and mobile entertainment -- which includes all streaming platforms, and electronic sell-through (excluding virtual pay TV platforms) -- rose 31% -- from $47.2 billion in 2019 to $61.8 billion in 2020. Worldwide theatrical box office sank 72%, from $42.3 billion in 2019 to $12 billion in 2020.

Physical entertainment (Blu-Ray, DVD, rentals) dropped 20% from $8.8 billion to $7 billion.

The U.S. registered a similar result: Streaming and digital home entertainment was up 33% to $26.5 billion -- while theatrical revenues fell 80%, from $11.4 billion in 2019 to $2.2 billion in 2020. The total U.S. entertainment marketplace was down 11% to $32.2 billion.

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U.S. market share analysis for 2020 from Comscore shows digital entertainment had a 82% share versus theatrical at 7% and physical media with 11%.

Although individual U.S. online video subscriptions were up 32% to 308.6 million in 2020, total online revenue still trails the legacy pay TV business. The 2020 total pay TV market (cable, satellite, and telco) was at $102 billion -- flat revenue versus 2019. Online video grew 35% to $24.7 billion.

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