[EN] Digital entertainment as an industry: figures, employment and trends in a sector in full expansion in Spain

€1.7 billion in gross revenue from online gambling, €4.816 billion expected for streaming video in 2029 and an entertainment and media industry that will grow by 2.7% annually to nearly €45 billion.

The figures for entertainment via the internet are overwhelming, but it should be clarified that they include audiovisual content platforms, sports betting and online casino operators in Spain, video game developers and an advertising ecosystem that moves more money towards the online segment every year.

Sites such as solcasino.es, one of the online gambling operators with a DGOJ license in Spain, compete for the attention of digital users. In front of them are video games, streaming services and social networks. 

Here’s a look at the industry numbers, based on figures from the consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).

Online casinos, the industry that had a turnover of 1,700 million euros in 2025

The body that regulates gambling in Spain, the DGOJ, published its 2025 annual report and the figures leave no room for interpretation. The gross turnover for online gambling in Spain reached 1,700.55 million euros, 16.99% more than the previous year.

Of the above, the casino is responsible for 52.51% of that market, with 893 million euros. Slot machines (slot machines) within it grew by 30.78%. Sports betting totalled 698 million, driven mainly by conventional counterparty betting, which rose by 25.82%.

But the data that speaks most about the moment is another. The number of active players reached 2,157,514, 8.33% more than in 2024. The deposits of these players exceeded 4,322 million euros, 21.47% more.

And marketing spending, one of the topics that will be addressed later in these lines, soared to 664 million, with promotions taking the largest cut: 347 million. That’s how hard it is to attract and retain 2.1 million active players in a market that is no longer incipient.

Streaming gains ground in Spain: subscriptions will grow 9.4%

According to the PwC Entertainment & Media Outlook report, OTT video will have a turnover of 4,816 million euros in 2029, compared to 3,588 million in 2025. That’s a growth of 9.3% per year. Paid subscriptions (SVOD) will lead the way with an increase of 9.4% to 4,101 million. And ad-supported models (AVOD) will grow at a rate of 18.2% per year, to 655 million.

Traditional television is moving in the opposite direction. Their combined turnover will fall by 1.6% annually to around 3,200 million in 2029. Conventional TV advertising will fall by 2.1% each year and pay TV subscriptions will lose 1.2%. 

The transfer of audience to streaming is not a trend. It is already a fait accompli that the networks themselves are trying to manage by launching their digital platforms with models that mix their own content and distribution agreements.

A projected growth of 2.7% until 2029

PwC has already sharpened its pencil and cleanly passed the calculations. According to the sector’s expectations, the Spanish entertainment and media industry should grow at a rate of 2.7% per year between 2026 and 2029, to a turnover of 45,089 million euros. 

The figure in itself is large, but it is even more surprising if one takes into account that it is above the growth forecast for GDP, which will be around 2% according to the main international organizations.

Video games will contribute with an annual advance of 5.2% to 2,753 million, and esports will rise by 7.7%.

However, the flywheel of inertia in the sector will be internet advertising. According to consultants, it will grow by 6.5% annually to 6,915 million in 2029. Connected television will take the most explosive part, with an increase of 10.2% per year. Paid search and display will also maintain rates of between 5 and 6%.

Digital advertising and promotions, engines of online growth

One point that connects streaming, online casinos, and video games is the way they monetize. Streaming services combine pure subscriptions with hybrid models that include advertising. 

It has already been said in these lines that casinos dispense, between advertising, affiliates and promotions, 664 million euros. Operators use bonuses (welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, free spins, etc.) and special promotions or discounts as an assembly line to attract new customers and keep existing ones. 

And there is a factor that is going to change everything. Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool for automating processes. It will redefine the relationship between consumers and platforms, from how content is created to how users discover, consume and pay for it. 

Companies that integrate this technology intelligently will have an advantage that will weigh heavily in the coming years. Those who don’t will compete with one hand tied behind their back.