Independent Production on the Rise, Studios Cut Back and Everyone Looks to Asia: Takeaways From Ampere Analysis’ EFM Presentation

variety.com:

Jamie Lang As the entertainment world continues to evolve post-pandemic, Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson offered a compelling look at the global film industry’s current state and its trajectory in 2025 during a presentation at the European Film Market.

With the global box office still recovering from the pandemic’s devastating impact and streaming taking an increasingly dominant role in how audiences consume content, Bisson offered a sharp insight into where the market is heading and what it means for film production, distribution and financing. A Shifting Landscape “The global market, valued at $800 billion, is essentially split in two,” Bisson explained. “Half of it is shrinking, and half of it is growing.” What this split reveals is a fundamental shift in the entertainment ecosystem.

The legacy businesses — broadcast television, transactional video and theatrical releases — are all struggling, while the sectors that are on the rise include streaming and online video platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

While streaming continues to surge, the theatrical market is “flat” and has yet to return to pre-COVID levels. Asia, particularly China, stands as the only region where the box office is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels.