The UK screen entertainment market grew 8% year on year in 2025, reaching a total value of £34 billion.
Home entertainment spending increased by 10%, hitting an all-time record of £5.7 billion. Streaming, cinema, and transactional models (EST and VoD) all expanded simultaneously.
The global media and entertainment market reached $1.1 trillion in 2025, while the global video entertainment market rose to $349 billion.
Physical formats remained resilient: Blu-ray value increased by 3.2%, while 4K Blu-ray revenues surged by 19.5%.
79 films were released in premium digital windows following theatrical runs, up from 62 titles in 2024.
Premium digital titles accounted for over 20% of transactional spending in 2025 and are expected to reach 25% in 2026.
Digital transactional formats in the UK reached £382 million; EST revenues grew by 7.4%, while the digital rental market showed stable performance. The average window from cinema release to premium digital availability reached 44 days, representing a 10% increase compared with 2024.
Twenty million UK households subscribed to at least one streaming platform, led by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. The UK recorded 23 million ad-supported streaming subscriptions, with 53% of all subscriptions now ad-funded. 40% of Netflix users and 44% of Disney+ users opted for ad-supported plans.
Streaming investment in sports rights grew by nearly 70%, accounting for 7% of total streaming spend.
2.2 million transactional sales and rentals were recorded in the final week of 2025 alone.
The UK continued to position itself as a global production hub, supported by major studio releases and strong original IP.
Social video platforms gained further momentum: YouTube contributed £1.5 billion to the UK video economy. The global influencer marketing market grew by 35% in 2025, reaching $32.5 billion.
Growth in 2026 will depend on the coordinated operation of theatrical, transactional, and streaming models across the ecosystem.
