People renting, streaming, and buying movies and films has led to a huge boom in the UK entertainment market. The popularity of recent movies has resulted in the entertainment sector rising to £5.7 billion, which is an all-time high. Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, was a top title from last year. Other major UK actors include Jonathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo, are doing a lot of theatre work, with the latest being Dracula, a highly-anticipated West End production. Another huge push for the sector was Gladiator II, which was directed by Sir Ridley Scott, a British director who chose to film part of it in the UK.
Source: Pexels
Entertainment Verticals Driving the UK Boom
Another big push for the UK entertainment sector came from Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. This is based on Helen Fielding’s work, with the British writer seeing a huge spike in interest since the movie launched. As for UK audiences, streaming takes priority, with 20.5 million homes using at least one service. Netflix has 17.6 million subscribers in the UK, with Amazon having 13.6 million users. Smaller streaming channels, including Discovery, also rose in numbers, reaching 3.2 million overall. Other verticals that are driving the UK entertainment scene, outside of books, TV, and movies, would be bingo. The game now sees 36.5% of people play online, with the sector generating £7.8 billion in 2025.
A lot of this growth is due to the sheer variety of games, as well as promotions that are often geared to new players. Some bingo promotions offer £40 in bingo bonuses as well as free spins on slot machines, and others offer the chance to win £215,000 on certain games. The variance in promotions is a testament to the intensive growth period the sector is experiencing, but at the same time, helps to shed light on UK entertainment preferences. Even music is undergoing significant growth right now, contributing £8 billion to the UK and supporting 220,000 jobs. Key trends show a large increase in digital consumption, with streaming dominating this. With that said, indie artists are starting to find their footing, navigating the digital world while using platforms like YouTube to get found. Not only is this giving UK artists a platform, but it’s also showcasing British talent in all the right ways.
Source: Pexels
The UK Market is Experiencing Significant Success
Downton Abbey is also driving the British entertainment market. The finale enjoyed huge DVD sales, with 56,500 units sold in two weeks. Examples like this show that it’s not just the digital world that’s dominating, and that the DVD sector is still a big contributor to the economy. With so much talent coming from the UK in 2024-2025, it’s clear to see that this trend is going to continue well into 2026, especially with the upcoming production of Dracula. The strength of the UK market is also largely down to the diversity of available channels, and how people now have more options than ever when accessing content. Whether that’s going to the cinema, renting or buying movies, it’s clear that consumer choice and preference are being embraced, and that 2026 is setting the stage for an even bigger year for the UK market.
