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people Buying, streaming and renting TV shows and movies led to a 10% increase in the value of the home entertainment market last year, driven by the popularity of Wicked and its sequels (both filmed in the UK).
Data released by the Bureau of Statistics British The Screen Entertainment Association (Base), in conjunction with the Official Ranking Company, revealed that the value of the UK home entertainment industry will increase to £5.7 billion by 2025, a record high.
They said the total value of the UK media and entertainment industry reached £34 billion last year, an increase of 8% from £30 billion in 2024.
They described Wicked as the hit film of the year, with sales and rentals totaling £17.7m, and said its sequel Wicked: Forever, starring British actors Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, was also among the top five films of the year on the official video charts.
“Secret Meeting” is adapted from the novel by British writer Robert Harris, starring British actors ralph fiennesis the highest-grossing film of 2025, worth £4 million, while Gladiator II, directed by British Jazz Ridley Scott Partly filmed in the UK, it ranked second on the official video charts.
“Bridget Jones: Mad About Boys,” based on the best-selling book by British author Helen Fielding, also topped the list of best-selling and rental movies.
Streaming remains the first choice for viewers to watch at home, with 20.5 million households in the UK using at least one service and 69.5% of the population watching streaming.
Netflix is the most popular service among British consumers, with 17.6 million subscribers in the autumn, driven by the success of films such as award-winning “Puberty” and hit animated “Devil Hunter.”
Amazon Prime Video is the second largest channel, reaching 13.6 million households, while Disney+ reaches 7.5 million UK households.
Smaller streaming channels have also seen growth, with Discovery growing to 3.2 million households last year, Apple TV to 2.8 million households and Now to 2 million households.
Data shows that more movies are coming out of theaters than ever before, which means they’re more expensive.
There will be 79 in 2025 and 62 in 2024.
In addition to consuming TV shows and movies digitally, these figures also include DVD and Blu-ray sales data, indicating that Blu-ray and DVD remain the first choice for many customers.
“Downton Abbey: The Finale” achieved huge DVD sales success at the end of the year, selling 56,500 copies in just two weeks and firmly ranking third on the official year-end DVD charts.
At the same time, “Superman” became No. 1 on the Blu-ray rankings, driving the Blu-ray market value to grow by 3.2% in 2025.
Liz Bales, according to The CEO said: “The British entertainment industry is a highly regarded source of talent and innovation globally and is well positioned to perform well into 2025.
“Whether they are bought, rented, streamed or in cinemas, UK-supported and produced films and TV shows continue to entertain audiences.
“The strength of the UK entertainment industry is driven by the diversity of consumer access and choice, with increasing numbers of consumers flocking to purchase and rental options as a range of streaming services gain popularity.
“As we build exciting new partnerships across the industry and welcome government recognition and support for the creative industries’ economic contribution, 2026 will bring exciting change, further growth and a wealth of exciting and beautiful new stories for audiences to embrace in all the ways they know and love.”
