The Growth Distillery today released Entertainment Nation 2026, a deep-dive into how Australians discover, choose and engage with entertainment across streaming, gaming, audio and live experiences.
The research reveals a clear commercial opportunity: in a market defined by demand but short on guidance, the brands that help audiences choose will build stronger habits, deeper loyalty and greater commercial value.
The research found almost 75 per cent of Australians say entertainment is central to their life yet 33 per cent still struggle to decide what to engage with. Discovery is fragmented across platforms, word of mouth and social channels, with no single source reaching even half the market.
The research identified two distinct challenges that require different solutions depending on whether audiences are engaging in digital or physical spaces.
The digital challenge: In digital spaces, audiences are overloaded with content but given little guidance to find what they want. These audiences are least likely to know what they want before opening a platform and are most likely to feel overwhelmed by large content libraries. The brands that help audiences find what they actually want, rather than offering more of everything, have the most to gain in the category.
The physical challenge: In physical spaces, cost is the primary barrier to greater participation, cited by 54 per cent of cinema-goers, 58 per cent of live event attendees and 38 per cent of cultural event attendees. Critically, audiences judge the value of a ticket not by the activity itself but by how long the experience stays with them. Brands that extend that experience through expert analysis, community access and behind-the-scenes content will make cost feel justified and drive stronger repeat attendance.
The Growth Distillery’s head of growth intelligence, Liza Williams, said: “Australians have never been more emotionally invested in entertainment, yet never more frustrated by it. They are not short of things to watch, play or experience. What they are short of is help finding the right one. That is a significant opportunity for brands and the ones that step into that role will build stronger, more loyal audiences.”
