Digital entertainment brands keep finding fresh ground across Europe, their presence growing impossibly fast. The lines separating streaming, retail, games, and live experiences blur by the month, bending with each new approach in licensing or advertising. The UK leads, looking set to pull in nearly £97 billion annually by 2029, leaving other countries trailing in its wake. Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) 2025’s lineup hints at bigger things too, with more exhibitors (and influence) from North America and Asia-Pacific stepping in.
Regional platforms and OTT disrupt old habits, while digital-first juggernauts, think rainbow riches, pull audiences together from every direction. Meanwhile, the hunt for audience attention takes turns through nostalgia, micro-influencers, and cross-generational hooks, twisting strategies to fit each nation’s quirks.
Market growth and licensing momentum
Across Europe, licensed consumer goods surged to $79.3 billion in sales in 2024; a jump of 3.4% from the previous year. France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK didn’t just keep pace with retail, they outperformed it, if Licensing International’s figures are anything to go by. BLE 2025 saw more excitement, jumping to 268 exhibitors (a 9% rise) and a small but telling 2% uptick in visitors.
Now, entertainment brands find themselves rubbing shoulders with sports, lifestyle, and even food in licensing deals. New arrivals from abroad, like MINISO or TV Tokyo, add pressure and a dose of creativity.
Studios and streamers, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, keep eyes glued. Brands stretch further into food tie-ins, location-based attractions, and digital offerings, making sure stories reach both neighborhood fans and global crowds, often at the same time.
UK leadership in digital E&M
Britain’s digital entertainment market just keeps pushing past the pack. PwC has it on track to eclipse £97 billion by 2029, almost a double-up from its 2020 total. That lands the UK ahead of Germany and France by quite a distance. The engine? Digital advertising, rising at 7% each year. By the end of this period, fully £50 billion should be spent on UK digital ads, with the lion’s share flowing to connected TV, gaming, retail media, and video across socials.
OTT and streaming plow ahead as well, their ad-supported plans now making up more than a third of revenue, expanding even more quickly than world averages. collaboration between broadcasters fills the ad-supported video pot with £9 billion, helped along by new targeting tools and smarter inventory. Online platforms such as rainbow riches harness these digital channels to reinforce reach and diversify audiences, capitalising on both entertainment and engagement shifts.
Video entertainment trends
Streaming? It’s growing everywhere you look. Spain was up 16% in 2024; Italy grew 14%, Poland 12%, according to Futuresource Consulting. The push came from savvy bundles, local content, and ad-supported options tempting more viewers. Despite digital advances, old-school TV hangs on; 47% of Spanish homes and a whopping 60% in Poland stick with pay-TV.
Streaming and linear TV support each other, especially in places where big-studio releases still matter. Poland even saw cinema attendance edge up, driven by Amazon releases. As market needs morph, e-commerce and social interactivity, especially around titles like rainbow riches, help brands create standout digital paths and deeper loyalty, whether for the mass market or niche fanbases.
Advertising and retail media shifts
Retail media grabs a bigger spotlight now, with brand-consumer relationships stretching beyond simple web banners. European networks take promotional stories off their own sites, folding shopper data into personalized campaigns that follow customers everywhere. Huge social video platforms change shopping tastes, pushing both FMCG and entertainment sectors to ramp up their retail media budgets.
The IAB and Deloitte confirm these digital ad channels are surging, thanks to flexible, region-friendly formats. Nostalgia and multi-generational themes, linked to classic games, franchises, and clever digital tie-ins, increase impact and conversion. Marketers now bend their approach to audience habits, ensuring retail media fits each unique market pulse.
Regional drivers and brand innovation
Different regions, different rules of engagement. In the UK and France, nostalgia links yesterday’s icons with tomorrow’s tech. In the south, consumers stack up subscriptions, Spanish and Italian viewers rarely settle for just one streamer. Poland sticks close to pay-TV but dips its toes into streaming and new media.
Micro-influencers and TikTok trends pull in the crowds, while eSports pop-ups and immersive events light up cities. British brands push boundaries in AI personalization and OTT tech, keeping the UK the testing ground for the continent’s digital experiments. Change here happens in real time, every launch, partnership, and hybrid idea gets a local spin.
Conclusion about responsible gambling
Responsible gambling practices remain essential as entertainment and media brands expand their online offerings. Operators and content creators must prioritise player safeguards, transparent advertising, and clear limits on spending or time. Tools for self-exclusion, gamification controls, and reliable third-party helplines should be integrated into digital offerings whenever gambling elements are present.
Maintaining adherence to regional regulations and supporting harm minimisation policies ensure the long-term sustainability and consumer trust needed for a thriving, ethical market.
