Global Scans · Media & Entertainment · Weekly Summary

• [New] KPMG The adoption of immersive technologies in entertainment and tourism could generate an additional 5 billion pounds in revenue by 2030 as users seek novel forms of engagement. Shaping Tomorrow
• [New] The entertainment industry is navigating rapid disruption, consolidation, regulatory shifts, the rise of AI, and intensifying competition from global players. Business of Entertainment Summit
• [New] Social media surpassed 5.4 billion users in 2025, more than double the 2017 figure, and is projected to reach 6.6 billion by 2030. TechnologyChecker.io
• [New] Global data generation is projected to exceed 220-240 zettabytes by 2026, fueled by IoT devices, social media platforms, connected applications, and enterprise digital systems. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The European Commission's AI Office convened a new round of working group meetings to advance the forthcoming Code of Practice on the Marking and Labelling of AI-Generated Content, which will establish technical benchmarks for identifying synthetic media under the EU AI Act. EU DisinfoLab
• [New] By the end of the year, mass adoption of public large language models as a replacement for traditional search will double public relations and earned media budgets. TechNewsWorld
• [New] Key deepfake statistics for 2026: deepfake files grew from roughly 500,000 in 2023 to a projected 8 million in 2025, a deepfake fraud attempt occurred every five minutes in 2024, and only 0.1% of people can reliably tell AI-generated media from real. Deepfake Detector
• [New] As smartphones, platform tools, AI, and low-cost production reduce barriers to entry, livestreaming and short-form user-generated content (UGC) videos will shift media further away from centrally controlled distribution and towards a more democratised environment. PwC
• [New] Advertising continues to remain a powerhouse driving the global entertainment and media industry's revenues - and it will play an increasingly greater role as AI-powered hyper-personalization transforms engagement with end-users. PwC
• [New] The UK Government has announced that it plans to introduce a total ban on access to social media for children under 16. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• [New] Australia says it will double fines on social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, accusing Big Tech of dodging the spirit of its under-16 ban. Al Jazeera
• [New] The federal government will double the penalty for breaches of Australia's youth social media ban to $99m, arguing tech companies are not doing enough to keep children off harmful social media sites. The Guardian
• [New] Global social media ad spend is projected to reach $338.75 billion by 2026, with U.S. spending accounting for $126 billion. DataRefs
• [New] Social media advertising is projected to reach $338.75 billion in 2026. DataRefs
• [New] Prime Minister Keir Starmer has today announced a Australian-style ban for Teenagers under the age of 16 from accessing high-risk social media apps while safer platforms will be subjected to restrictions. Inforrm's Blog
• [New] The streaming segment's profitability and growth are crucial as it is expected to offset the decline of Disney's traditional media businesses. Trefis
• [New] As AI democratizes production and localization, audiences around the world should expect a broader range of stories - and a major rebalancing of who sets the trends in entertainment. TWiT.tv
• [New] The opposing forces of platform centralization and content decentralization will continue to shape the media and entertainment industry, as they have since the birth of the World Wide Web. PwC
• [New] Media, and technology trends and predictions 2026' report for the Reuters Institute, publishers expect traffic from search engines to decline by 43% over the next three years. Vuelio -
• The adoption of immersive technologies in entertainment and tourism could generate an additional 5 billion pounds in revenue by 2030 as users seek novel forms of engagement. Market Data Forecast
• A new social media fee on large platforms is projected to generate $200 million annually, while a 0.2% tax on digital asset transactions and services is expected to raise $60 million. ISACo
• As big media brands such as Schibsted in the Nordics, the Daily Mail and the Independent in the UK, and the Washington Post and many others in the US set up their own 'creator labs', the dividing line between conventional and alternative news media will only become more blurred. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
• One of the biggest emerging questions about the UK's social media ban is how it will be enforced. BBC News

Last updated: 06 July 2026