The Role of Mobile Apps in Driving Entertainment Industry Revenue Growth - Business Focus
Retaining attention is one of the key metrics that makes the entertainment industry grow. Mobile apps have become one of the most important tools driving growth in this sector, thanks to the many services. . .
Retaining attention is one of the key metrics that makes the entertainment industry grow. Mobile apps have become one of the most important tools driving growth in this sector, thanks to the many services they offer. From streaming and gaming to live events and creator content, apps have become the center of the modern entertainment business. Mobile Apps Have Become the Industry’s New Revenue EnginePwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlookprojects the global entertainment and media industry to grow from $3. 5 trillion in 2025 to $4. 2 trillion by 2030. Mobile apps play a central role by bringing together content, payments, advertising, user data, and customer engagement. The 2026State of Mobilereport from Sensor Tower highlights the scale of this shift. Global in-app purchase revenue reached $167 billion in 2025, while consumers spent 5. 3 trillion hours in apps. For entertainment brands, success increasingly depends on turning an app download into a long-term customer relationship. That is a good lesson for entertainment companies. To be among winning brands, learning how to turn an app installation into a consistent relationship is essential. From Audience Reach to Customer OwnershipA mobile app gives entertainment companies something a website or social media feed cannot: a permanent place on a customer’s home screen. Streaming services recommend the next show before one ends. Music apps promote concerts and merchandise. Sports apps combine scores, video, fantasy games, and betting content. Gaming and casino apps bring gameplay, payments, rewards, and responsible gaming tools together in a single experience. By keeping everything in one platform, apps encourage repeat visits while giving businesses valuable data on customer behaviour. With customer acquisition becoming more expensive, retention has become just as important as attracting new users. Personalization Is Becoming a Revenue StrategyPersonalization is now a revenue driver rather than simply a convenience. Apps recommend content, tailor promotions, simplify checkout, and adapt the user experience based on individual behaviour. AI-powered personalization is also transforming advertising. Industry forecasts show advertising spend exceeded $1 trillion in 2025 and could reach $1. 4 trillion by 2030, while theIAB reportsUS digital advertising climbed to nearly $300 billion in 2025. For entertainment companies, better personalization creates stronger engagement, more valuable advertising inventory, and additional revenue opportunities beyond subscriptions. The App-Led Entertainment ModelA good case study of how mobile applications can be used to expand operations to digital is Borgata Online Casino. Borgata is a well-known physical entertainment brand now also offers a regulated digital platform. In June 2026, BetMGM announced the relaunch of Borgata Online, with a redesigned platform launching July 3, a unified Rewards Hub, more than 4,000 games, and activation at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. The company said the platform builds on Borgata’s history as one of New Jersey’s first regulated online casinos, dating back to 2013. The important point here is not that Borgata has an app. Many brands have apps. The point is that Borgata Online links the digital and physical customer journey. BetMGM announced the new Rewards Hub, which brings promotions, Borgata Rewards Points, and MGM Rewards tier status into one destination. The redesigned account hub centralizes bonuses, playable balance, and withdrawable balance within a single tap. This small design detail has a big commercial effect. Because the easier it is for a customer to return to favorite games and move between online and on-property experiences, the better thePA online casinoretention metrics get. To judge the quality of an online casino app, looking at performance, payments, rewards, and compliance are as important as the game library. The Small Screen Is Now Big BusinessThe mobile app has become one of the most important revenue tools in entertainment because it compresses the whole customer journey into a few taps. Discovery, engagement, payment, rewards, advertising, and customer support now happen in the same place. Borgata Online Casino shows how this works in practice. Its app-led model extends the physical brand, measures it, and gives customers more reasons to stay connected between visits. That is the bigger lesson for the entertainment industry. The app is not just another channel. It is where the modern entertainment business makes its money, earns loyalty, and proves the brand value.