Global Media Usage Stalls In 2025; PQ Media Forecasts Rebound Through 2030.

Global consumer time spent with media showed only marginal growth in 2025, according to data released Tuesday in PQ Media’s 13th annual Global Consumer Media Usage Forecast 2026‑2030, underscoring a shifting landscape in global media usage that industry analysts say will rebound in the coming years.

The study found that overall global media usage, which includes both digital and traditional channels, rose only 0.3% in 2025 to an average of 57.65 hours per week (HPW), a sharp slowdown from stronger growth in prior years. The deceleration was attributed largely to the absence of major international sporting events and fewer federal elections in the world’s top media markets during the year.

“Decelerating growth in 2025 was due primarily to the lack of major international sporting events and fewer federal elections in the top 20 global markets versus 2024,” the report says, reflecting broad impacts on consumption patterns.

Despite the tepid expansion, media usage remains significantly higher than five years ago, with consumers now spending an average of 8.24 hours per day with media, compared with 7.62 hours in 2020. In several markets, levels of daily media engagement were markedly elevated; in Japan daily usage exceeded 13 hours, and in the Netherlands, it topped 12 hours. Five other countries, including the U.S., posted daily usage of more than 11 hours.

Media format trends revealed that television — across live, digital, streaming and over‑the‑top (OTT) platforms — remained the most consumed medium, reaching an average of 27.74 hours per week in 2025. But global radio usage held its own, recording an average of 14.4 HPW, well ahead of videogames, newspapers, film & home video, and books.

Shifts in media composition also continued. The share of digital media usage rose to 42.6% globally in 2025, up from 31.4% in 2020, but remained below parity in several emerging markets where smartphone and internet penetration lag economic development. Even so, digital media now accounts for more than half of total media usage in 11 of the top 20 global markets, including the U.S., South Korea and the Netherlands.

Looking ahead, the forecast anticipates that media usage will accelerate at a 2.4% pace in 2026, propelled by major global events such as the Winter Olympics in Italy, the FIFA World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and federal elections in 13 of the world’s 20 largest media markets. Geopolitical tensions and increased political engagement are also expected to contribute to heightened media consumption through the forecast period.