• Romania's entertainment and media industry reaches EUR 5.22 billion in 2026, around 2% above 2025, according to the PwC Global Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Outlook 2026-2030
• The fastest growth through 2030 is in the digital segments: music, radio and podcasts, OTT video streaming, and internet advertising
• The print and digital publishing market remains relatively stable
Internet advertising and digital streaming services for film and music are the fastest-growing segments of Romania's entertainment and media industry, estimated at EUR 5.22 billion this year, up around 2% on 2025. Over the medium term, the market will keep pace, advancing an average of around 2% per year to reach EUR 5.66 billion by 2030, according to the latest edition of the PwC Global Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Outlook 2026-2030.
“Romania's entertainment and media market is following the same directions as globally, increasingly digital consumption, growing online advertising and artificial intelligence redefining how content is created, distributed, and monetized. Advertising remains an essential revenue driver, supported by hyper-personalization, while digital consumption is fueled by the expansion of 5G networks and fiber optics. In an increasingly competitive environment, the advantage will go to the companies that rethink their offerings, through affordable packages for price-conscious consumers and premium, personalized experiences,” said Doina Bîrsan, Partner and Leader of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice, PwC Romania.
Market performance by segment
This year's edition of the report analyzes ten segments of Romania's entertainment and media industry, with the highest percentage growth over 2025-2030 forecast for music, radio, and podcasts, over-the-top (OTT) streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, and internet advertising.
The music, radio, and podcasts segment will record the fastest growth, at nearly 12% per year, with revenues rising from EUR 154 million in 2025 to EUR 269 million in 2030. The main driver is music streaming, growing by more than 15% per year, supported in particular by consumer spending, while radio maintains modest, advertising-based growth.
The OTT video market will continue to expand at an average of around 7% per year, growing from EUR 276 million in 2025 to EUR 389 million in 2030. Subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video remain dominant, while the advertising video on demand (AVOD) segment grows steadily but accounts for a small share. The number of OTT subscriptions exceeded 3.3 million in 2025.
Internet advertising will see one of the fastest evolutions, with revenues climbing from EUR 287 million in 2025 to EUR 393 million in 2030, an average annual growth of around 6.5%. The most dynamic area is online video advertising, growing by approximately 10% per year, driven by content consumption on connected TV, followed by paid search. Google, through AdSense and Google Ads, dominates the market, which is increasingly shaped by regulation, such as restrictions on the promotion of gambling by public figures and European legislative frameworks.
Video games and esports will see sustained growth of around 3% per year, with revenues rising from EUR 459 million in 2025 to EUR 532 million in 2030. Most of the revenue is generated by social/casual gaming and in-app advertising, with PC games remaining at the center of the market, while the console segment is in decline.
The cinema industry will see positive development, with average growth of around 3% per year and revenues forecast to rise from EUR 64 million in 2025 to EUR 74 million in 2030. The market benefits from strong domestic productions, The Yellow Tie and Vecina were among the most-watched films of 2025, and from the film production incentive scheme (cash rebate), reintroduced in 2024, capped at EUR 10 million per cycle.
Out-of-home advertising will continue to grow, at an average of around 4% per year, reaching EUR 63 million in 2030 from EUR 51 million in 2025, with an increasing emphasis on digital formats (DOOH), which are growing by more than 10% per year and gaining a significant share of the total market.
The Business-to-Business (B2B) media segment will record moderate growth of around 2.6% per year, reaching EUR 216 million in 2030 from EUR 190 million in 2025, supported by demand for business information and specialized trade shows.
The traditional TV industry will remain relatively stable, with growth of around 2% per year, reaching EUR 1.09 billion in 2030 from EUR 0.99 billion in 2025, thanks to the stability of TV subscription revenues and multichannel advertising. Cable TV remains dominant, while IPTV and satellite TV are in decline.
The mobile and fixed telephony services segment will remain almost flat, with growth of around 0.2% per year, revenues reaching EUR 2.59 billion in 2030 from EUR 2.57 billion in 2025. 5G penetration will increase significantly, by more than 20% per year, coming to account for the majority of mobile connections, while fiber optic networks continue to expand. The market is dominated by Orange, Vodafone, and Digi.
The print and digital publishing market will remain relatively stable, with a slight decline of around 0.3% per year, holding at around EUR 95-96 million per year through 2030, as growth in digital partially offsets declines in print media.
Global trends
According to the PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-2030, the global market will grow at an average annual rate of 3.4% over the next five years, reaching USD 4.2 trillion in 2030, with USD 600 billion in new revenue, generated mainly by the digital segments.
Advertising, supported by artificial intelligence, will grow rapidly and exceed USD 1.4 trillion by 2030, having passed the USD 1 trillion threshold for the first time in 2025, as advertisers follow consumers to where they access content and make purchasing decisions.
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