Ireland's Entertainment & Media Outlook 2024-2028

Ireland's entertainment and media industry is positioned for steady but below-global growth through 2028, with video gaming serving as the main drag on the overall trajectory. The five-year outlook covers consumer and advertiser spending across Irish E&M segments, benchmarked against global and Western European trends, with 2023 as the baseline year and 2028 as the forecast horizon.

Total Irish E&M revenue grew 4.8% to €6.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach €7.6 billion by 2028, a 2.9% compound annual growth rate that trails the global 3.9%. Internet services lead at €2.7 billion, while internet advertising is expected to climb at 9.5% annually to €1.8 billion and video on demand at 8.9% to €299 million. Cinema (€110 million, up 15.9%) and live music (€243 million, up 23.5%) both posted strong post-pandemic performance.

Video gaming revenue reached €465 million in 2023, rebounding 4.8% after a 2.7% decline in 2022, and is forecast to exceed €545 million by 2028 at a 3.2% CAGR. That sits well below the global rate of 8% but is closer to Western Europe's 4.1%. The segment is splitting in two directions: traditional gaming, currently 52% of revenue at €242 million, will slip to €234 million as physical console game sales fall at an 11.3% annual rate. Social and casual gaming will grow from €198 million to €283 million at 7.4% annually, driven largely by in-app games advertising, which nearly doubles from €59 million to €110 million.

On strategy, 63% of Irish CEOs expect generative AI to transform how their organizations create value. Recommended responses include reinventing business models, adopting generative AI, and prioritizing high-growth areas such as digital advertising, streaming, and social gaming.