The way we consume entertainment has changed dramatically over the past decades. First came the invention of the radio, which was eclipsed by the television. Later came the invention of the internet, which has changed the world. The way it spread into our homes has certainly influenced how we consume information and entertainment.
Much of our leisure time is now spent online, which means digital trends have become the strongest forces that influence our sources of entertainment. There’s plenty of money to be made in this industry, with its appeal to the consumer, but there is also plenty of competition.
This keeps the market competitive, which means companies are constantly striving to enhance the user experience, provide more content, and offer the latest innovations. That’s fantastic news for us, as consumers. We can expect exciting tech trends to continue in the coming years.
Online Casinos
The online gambling industry has been growing, not only in the revenue it has been generating, but also the number of customers it attracts and how much of their time they are spending at online casinos. They bring the glitz and glamour of the casino into your home. With the thrill of playing at an online casino comes the chance of winning some money.
There are two ways that online casinos will be expanding in 2020. One is by embracing new tech trends, and the other is by reaching new audiences. Many countries have been reviewing their gambling laws, which means that operators are now setting up and reaching new audiences in countries like Brazil, and in US states that have changed their laws.
When choosing a site for entertainment, many users check online casino reviews. These give you an indication of what kind of experience you can get from the site, including key information about the games on offer and the payment methods.
Two ways we can see these features change is through the introduction of AR or augmented reality when playing games, and with the extended use of cryptocurrency. Not only will the experience be enhanced, but players will have more ways to pay securely and without sharing their bank details.
Video Streaming
The biggest revolution in how we get our entertainment, and perhaps one of the biggest 
market shares in terms of revenue, is video streaming. In the past few years, subscription services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have grown large audience numbers.
It isn’t hard to understand why sites like Netflix are so popular. They deliver lots of content whenever you want it. It’s created a new way for us to consume tv shows, with many episodes being watched one after the other. It’s also shaping the way content is produced, with the big TV networks no longer needing to be part of the production.
Many new services have been looking for their share in the market. Recently, Apple and Disney launched their own services. With TV networks, like HBO, offering an over the top media service through mobile apps, the market is now getting crowded. This means that finding new ways to wow audiences is imperative.
The way forward for video streaming is providing more original content. This has already begun and is set to continue in 2020. However, in order to boost the budget spent on creating shows and films, the companies will need to employ technologies to improve their other processes. Artificial intelligence will be brought in to help with content recommendations, pre and post-production, and many other tasks.
E-Sports
In order to increase in popularity and keep growing, industries need to reach new audiences. In 2019 and 2020, we will see eSports become even more popular and enter the mainstream. This will help many companies reach younger audiences, but it also embraces a growing entertainment trend that is fully embracing new technologies.
Streaming services like Twitch, which is a dedicated eSports platform, have had millions of viewers in 2019. In recent years we have seen eSports become a popular feature of sports betting, too, which is another sign that it is growing in popularity and will enter the mainstream. We can expect viewing figures to get close to 500 million by the end of 2020.
Augmented reality or AR and virtual reality or VR will impact this sport, which is being used by competitors, fans, and viewers alike. This technology aims to captivate consumers. It provides an immersive experience, which is well suited to eSports. Beyond cutting edge technology, we can expect to see more mainstream practices impacting eSports in the year to come.
Until recently, brands that are connected to the industry have been acting as sponsors, but we can expect bigger ones getting involved in boosting the support of eSports and to help them reach their target audiences.
Personalization
One element that we can expect to see throughout is personalization. It will be used to improve rewards and user experience in online casinos. For video, streaming personalization will increase with recommendations, and ways to watch more of what you love while discovering new content.
One of the main areas for personalization to be brought in will be advertising. As consumers, we are now much more aware that are details are being gathered and used by companies. Although businesses need to address the issue of trust, one way they will seek to improve managing data is by using it to help customers.
Personalization will be used to deliver information that is relevant to users. It will mean that products and content will be more targeted but also more appropriate and useful. In 2020, this will progress from being for a particular buyer to being aimed at specific individuals.
Digital Entertainment Innovation
With all of these innovations about to take place, it’s an exciting time to be a consumer. We look forward to making the most of digital entertainment next year. Advances in technology can bring us new ways to enjoy our leisure time and have fun.
We can expect the content we consume to be bigger and better. It will be tailored to us and will be more immersive, so we can have even more fun. 2020 will bring excitement, and the fast-paced nature of technology will keep bringing changes in the years to come.
