In a significant shift, U.K. consumers have ramped up their expenditure on video entertainment, video games, and recorded music by over 7% in 2025, according to the latest findings from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA). This increase has led to these sectors accounting for 13.3% of overall leisure spending, highlighting a robust demand for entertainment options in the country.
The data reveals that the average consumer in the U.K. dedicates substantial time to various forms of entertainment each week. Specifically, individuals are watching an average of 17.6 hours of movies and TV shows through streaming services, digital platforms, and physical media. Additionally, they listen to approximately 12 hours of music, engage in 8.9 hours of video gaming, and spend about 3.8 hours tuning into podcasts weekly.
When compared to other leisure activities, the music, video, and gaming sectors have shown remarkable growth, surpassing traditional pastimes such as reading books, which saw a slight decline of 0.7%. Other sectors like gambling, alcohol, and dining out experienced modest increases of 1.5%, 5.3%, and 6.4%, respectively, but none matched the entertainment sector’s growth.
Notably, the ERA’s research indicates a resurgence in physical record stores, largely fueled by a significant rise in vinyl sales, which have reached an 18-year high. While home delivery continues to dominate physical music sales, accounting for over half, brick-and-mortar stores have managed to increase their market share by nearly a third since 2021, now representing 41.2% of total sales. Furthermore, their share of total music sales, including streaming, has risen to 6.2% within the same timeframe.
CEO Kim Bayley commented on the findings, stating that the growth in entertainment spending for 2025 exceeded expectations. She emphasized that these figures reflect a broader trend in the leisure sector, marking the previous year as a standout period. Bayley noted the evolving nature of entertainment consumption in the streaming era, where it has transitioned from being viewed as a luxury to an essential part of daily life, with the average person now holding 2.9 video subscriptions.
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