Media & Entertainment Consumer Insights 2026

Our 15th edition of Media & Entertainment Consumer Insights unpacks how Australians are changing the way they navigate media and entertainment - from what earns their attention, to what they trust and what they'll pay for. It covers subscription spending, time spent on digital entertainment, creator commerce, trust in AI-generated content and the ever-growing influence of sport.

This year's report explores the evolving behaviours and preferences of Australian audiences. It draws on a nationally representative survey of more than 2,000 Australians across five generations, mapping the pressures reshaping subscription retention, content investment, creator partnerships and advertising strategy. It highlights:

• The size and composition of Australians' subscription stacks - with average monthly household spend down 6% to $73, while the amount consumers consider a reasonable budget has risen to $97
• Time spent across digital entertainment categories - with Australians consuming 45 hours and 20 minutes of media and entertainment per week, and 42% regularly multitasking across two or more activities
• How Australians interact with digital media, including the growing role of creators - with 38% making a purchase based on a creator recommendation in the past year, and 44% unfollowing creators who feel inauthentic or overly commercial
• Perceptions of media organisations and views on AI-generated content - with 48% of Australians now regularly using standalone AI tools, yet 84% calling for mandatory AI disclosure
• All things sport - followership, spend on sports content, women's sport, stadium experiences and more, including what it means that willingness to spend on sports subscriptions has risen for a third year in a row to $24 a month, while the share willing to pay has flattened at 56%

Discover how Australians are balancing value, trust and attention across the content they choose - and what this means for media organisations, brands and advertisers.