Report: Global streaming revenues up 25% in 2021
April 4, 2022
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The main global Media & Entertainment companies grew by 13 per cent in the first nine months of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, according to a study published by Italy’s Mediobanca.
Revenues of streaming services increased by 25 per cent, accounting for 18 per cent of total turnover; advertising revenues saw 19 per cent growth; while pay-TV growth was only 3.6 per cent.
In the same period, EBIT margin rose to 16 per cent, improving from the same period in 2020.
Among the eight operators with above-industry profitability, seven are based in the US.
Major international companies reported consistent audience growth, especially among streaming platform subscribers (up 26 per cent in the period September 2020 – September 2021).
The eight main Italian Media & Entertainment operators saw 8 per cent revenue growth, thanks to the recovery of advertising and the further acceleration of streaming services. However, Italy still has to close the gap with the main European countries in terms of coverage of broadband Very High Capacity Networks.
The main broadcasters still account for 87 per cent of the audience on the average day in 2021, with digital platforms gradually expanding in the face of the general downsizing of thematic channels.
The age of the audience continues to increase (from 56 years in 2018 to an average of 58 years in 2021), with the new logics of media fruition transferring more and more audiences from linear TV to on-demand TV.