Global consumer spending on overall media content and technology grew 2.8% to $2.439 trillion in 2025, decelerating from a 4.4% increase in 2024, as there were no major international sporting events and fewer federal elections and related media buying.
That’s the key takeaway from fresh research released on Thursday by “media econometrics” specialist PQ Media, led by Patrick Quinn.
The growth deceleration was not unexpected in 2025, as consumer spending on media is exhibiting similar characteristics to advertising and marketing and consumer media usage.
Global consumer spending on overall media content only increased by 6.1% in 2025 to $1.141 trillion, while total media-related technology spending was almost flat, inching up 0.1% to $1.298 trillion.
Consumer spending on digital media content and tech worldwide increased 4% in 2025 to $1.854 trillion, while end-user spending on traditional media content and tech fell 0.7% to $584.68 billion.
The U.S. remained the largest consumer media market in the world with total spending of $553.06 billion in 2025.
PQ Media’s Global Media Forecast 2026-2030, released Wednesday, tracks consumer spending across 28 digital and 14 traditional media categories in the top 20 global markets.
Digital audio streaming posted 13.4% growth in 2025, the fastest of any category PQ Media tracked, alongside satellite radio. However, among PQ Media’s 10 global media spend silos, Total Radio ranked smallest at $33.8 billion in 2025, trailing Magazines and sitting well behind Pure-Play Mobile’s category-leading $572.4 billion.
Quinn attributed the broader deceleration in media spending to the absence of a game-changing new technology, noting that each prior decade was propelled by a category-defining launch, from broadband and MP3 players in the 2000s to smartphones and streaming in the 2010s. AI, he said, remains a “nice-to-have” that has not yet translated into meaningful consumer spending.
PQ Media projects global consumer media spending to rebound to 3.7% growth in 2026, fueled by the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics, with the US market forecast at 3.6%.
— With reporting by Cameron Coats
