Digital Media

In 2024, the Digital Media market in Benelux is expected to witness a significant rise in revenue, reaching a projected total of US$5.32bn.
Among the various market segments, Video Games stands out as the largest, with an estimated market volume of US$2.10bn in the same year.
However, in terms of global comparison, United States is anticipated to generate the highest revenue, amounting to US$198.10bn in 2024.
The digital media market in the Benelux countries is experiencing a surge in platforms due to the high internet penetration rate and tech-savvy population.

Digital Media is defined as audiovisual media contents and applications that are distributed directly over the internet. This includes digital video contents (e.g. movies, series and TV shows), digital music provided as download or internet-stream as well as digital games for different devices and electronically published content such as eBooks, eMagazines or ePapers.

Audiovisual media content that is distributed directly over the internet
Digital videos provided as downloads or streaming
Music downloads and music streaming
Digital games for different devices
Digital versions of books, magazines and papers

User-generated content (UGC)

Driven by the expansion of mobile internet access and increasing connection speeds, the growing number of mobile and streaming devices leads to a steady growth in the demand for all types of digital media. The major shift in the market can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a tremendous increase in the demand for media and the need for digitalization. This positive effect generates more growth, but digital media will most likely remain predominant even after the pandemic. Although the USA is still leading the market, it is the Asian countries in particular that are demonstrating how increasing prosperity creates great demand for knowledge, culture, and entertainment. Especially video-on-demand is expected to continue its growth avenue, with Netflix as the current biggest player. According to predictions, however, Disney+ is set to become the most popular streaming service by 2026. In the future, improved technology and new ways of consuming media will align with the growing consumption by users and exhibit steady growth. With the emergence of the metaverse, for instance, the Digital Media market will face a completely new dimension that will be accessible for consumers and enable new possibilities for consumption. Because markets like the Digital Video market and the Digital Music market are seeing an increase in the number of competitors and variation between regions, the Digital Media market can become highly fragmented and therefore be faced with challenges throughout all its markets.

Data coverage:

The data encompasses B2C enterprises. Figures are based on the Digital Media market. Digital media is defined as audiovisual media content and applications distributed directly over the internet. All monetary figures refer to consumer spending on digital goods or subscriptions in the respective market. This spending factors in discounts, margins, and taxes.

Modeling approach / Market size:

Market sizes are determined through a bottom-up approach, building on specific predefined factors for each market market. As a basis for evaluating markets, we use annual financial reports of the market-leading companies and industry associations, third-party studies and reports, survey results from our primary research (e.g., the Statista Global Consumer Survey), as well as performance factors (e.g., user penetration, price per product, usage). In addition, we use relevant key market indicators and data from country-specific associations, such as various macroeconomic indicators, historical developments, current trends, and reported performance indicators of key market players. In particular, we consider average prices and annual purchase frequencies. This data helps us estimate the market size for each country individually.

Forecasts:

In our forecasts, we apply diverse forecasting techniques. The selection of forecasting techniques is based on the behavior of the relevant market. For example, the S-curve function and exponential trend smoothing are well suited for forecasting digital products and services due to the non-linear growth of technology adoption. The main drivers are GDP per capita, consumer spending per capita, and 4G coverage.

Additional notes:

The market is updated twice a year in case market dynamics change. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is considered at a country-specific level. The data is modeled using current exchange rates. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war are considered at a country-specific level. The market is updated twice a year. In some cases, the data is updated on an ad hoc basis (e.g., when new, relevant data has been released or significant changes within the market have an impact on the projected development). GCS data is reweighted for representativeness.

This report presents a comprehensive analysis and additional information on the Digital market, in a PDF format.

Online video streaming has visibly transformed the global media landscape and impacted viewing behavior around the world. Driven by rapid leaps in internet adoption, widespread availability of mobile devices, and the ever-increasing popularity of online video content, the global video streaming market has experienced unprecedented growth in the last decade. In 2023, the over-the-top (OTT) video revenue reached an estimated 288 billion U.S. dollars, with the United States accounting for the largest share of revenue worldwide. Considering that the list of international streaming services and the catalog of online video content continue to expand at a rapid pace, the number of OTT users worldwide is expected to reach new heights in the future.