Global spending on video entertainment is up, with 6% YoY growth in 2023, amounting to a $324 billion annual spend. James Duvall, Head of Entertainment at Futuresource Consulting, expects further expansion this year, despite inflationary pressures. The sector achieved 6% YoY growth in 2022 and 2023, with an additional $10 billion expected this year.

The demand for BYOD is set to increase as the pandemic demonstrated the true value for the wider education market. The benefits aren’t just confined to EdTech channel specialists, but schools and students too. Schools can provide their students with the benefit of a more personalized learning experience without impacting their ever-tighter IT budgets.

TV sales remained weak during the first half of 2023 due to poor global macroeconomic conditions and out-of-sync product replacement cycles following unprecedented demand in major markets during 2020. Through the second half of 2023, Futuresource expects demand trends for TVs to remain sluggish as the economy continues to stabilize. A further drop in shipments of 4.1% during 2023 is anticipated, totalling 210.9 million units.

Esports has come a long way from its reputation as being a niche hobby for teenagers. In recent years, esports has rocketed into a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, spanning multiple industries and garnering audiences on a global scale. From 2019 to 2020, revenues grew by 5%, and the following year, they jumped by another 17%. Sponsors and publishers are ramping up their contributions, and Futuresource expects to see a positive outlook for the industry over the next five years.

Cloud services continue to impact the AV industry, ushering in new capabilities and changing how AV systems are designed, installed, and operated. The inescapable rise of IoT, along with cloudification, virtualization, and container-based applications, is bringing AV and IoT devices together into a shared domain.

As the outlook begins to crystallize, a new report from Futuresource Consulting explores the crossover between AV and IoT markets, identifying the benefits and challenges for AV, and uncovers what this will mean for the AV industry moving forward.

The ballooning cost of living has been a well-publicized global issue. Audiences are continuing to tighten their belts in response to the crisis. Recent research from Futuresource Consulting shows key European markets like France, Germany, and the UK have been hit especially hard, with over 50% of consumers financially worse off than they were six months ago.

Content creation has transformed thanks to the spread of distribution platforms that can spread its media, like social media and other forums. But within the last few years, certain areas of the content-creation market have set off exceptional ripples even for the larger digital revolution. For manufacturers of audio or video equipment, the question isn’t what they should expect these markets to do—it is how they should expect these markets to grow, and because of whom.

In these unprecedented times, television’s prominence as a link to the outside world has strengthened, becoming the primary source of entertainment for many. Inevitably, households became a battleground for the big screen. Viewers have been spending significantly more money last year on new TVs, additional sets and extra audio equipment to optimise viewing experiences, as well as keeping family members at peace.

This announcement is significant. Spotify has been historically reluctant to offer lossless streaming, which demonstrates a shift in consumer expectations. As Spotify is the leading streaming player with 155 million subscribers globally, it means that high-quality audio will finally be within reach of mainstream adoption.

The most topical theme within gaming is the launch of next generation consoles by Sony and Microsoft in Q4 2020. Both vendors have seen significant, excess demand for their hardware, selling out of available stock just minutes after launch, highlighting the intensity of consumer interest in gaming as an outlet for both entertainment and socialisation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wearable tech continues to gather pace, building an ecosystem of connected devices and capturing consumer attention to the tune of $108 billion by 2023, according to a new industry report from Futuresource Consulting.

Wearable tech continues to gather pace, building an ecosystem of connected devices and capturing consumer attention to the tune of $108 billion by 2023, according to a new industry report from Futuresource Consulting.

Disney+’s rollout has been one of the most discussed and debated content service launches ever. Futuresource is bullish about its prospects in most key markets, with it expected to challenge for the number two or three SVoD position behind Netflix and (where significant) Amazon Prime Video. The depth of content at launch is impressive, with approximately 600 movies and TV show franchises, providing a long tail of Disney content unmatched on existing services and with strong appeal to families. Futuresource estimates that around two-thirds of Disney+ subscribers will have children under 12, with this base crucial in helping maintain overall subscriber loyalty to the service across the long term.

Household refrigeration and laundry appliances are on track to ship 326 million units worldwide in 2019, with smart appliances accounting for a growing share of the market, according to a new summary report from Futuresource Consulting.

A new generation of connected voice assistants offering cloud processing (either hybrid or pure cloud) are now poised for rapid adoption. By 2023, almost two in every three new passenger cars will incorporate the technology, up from less than 30% last year, according to a new automotive audio report from Futuresource Consulting.

Premium headphones continue to capture the imagination of consumers, with global revenues in Q2 2019 growing nearly four times faster than shipments, according to Futuresource Consulting. The analyst firm's latest quarterly tracking report reveals stellar growth rates of 44% year-over-year.

Uptake of smart home devices continues apace and is on track to ship 137 million units in 2019, worth $16 billion in trade value, according to a new market report from Futuresource Consulting. That represents a 37% volume increase on 2018, with a slowdown in home hub sales being eclipsed by accelerating growth in other categories. And although growth remains strong, it is now tracking slightly below previous Futuresource forecasts.

The dynamism of the subscription video sector has showed no sign of slowing in the first half 2019; with a high sense of anticipation for what is to come during the remainder of the year. Most of the current focus has centred around the potential Netflix dampening services which have yet to launch; namely Disney+, WarnerMedia and Apple TV+.

Apple has given the strong impression that the launch of a new SVoD service will be part of the company’s first 2019 event this March 25th in a move that has been widely anticipated across the video and TV market for years, according to Futuresource Consulting.