Activate Consulting Releases Annual Technology & Media Outlook for 2026

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SAN FRANCISCO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 5, 2025--

Activate Consulting, the leading management consulting firm focused on technology, internet, media, sports, and e-commerce, today released its highly anticipated Technology & Media Outlook 2026.

In this annual report, Activate Consulting focuses on topics such as the 32-Hour Day & Consumer Attention, Generative AI's impact on search, the "Super User" economy, the convergence of Gaming and Media, and Spatial Computing. The report is based on groundbreaking proprietary research.

This year's report highlights key trends across the industry, including:

• Massive Growth in Tech and Media: The global internet, media, and B2B technology sectors are forecast to see $1.3T in incremental revenue over the next four years, with B2B tech and software alone growing by $907B to become a $3.9T market.
• The 32-Hour Day and the "Attention" War: Multitasking has created a 32-hour, 17-minute day, where consumers spend over 13 hours on media, blurring industry lines. Social is now 71% video, retail media is a $100B+ business, and gaming is a social hub, forcing companies to expand into new territories to capture fractured attention.
• AI Is Rewriting the Rules: With adoption now at over 60% of US adults, Generative AI (GenAI) is the single biggest driver of change, monetization, and investment. It is fundamentally altering online search, with 72 million U.S. adults expected to use a GenAI platform as their first stop by 2029.
• The "Super User" Demands a New Strategy: A highly engaged 28% of the population disproportionately drives media consumption, tech adoption, and 59% of e-commerce spend. As high-value brand advocates who are 87% comfortable sharing data and willing to pay for premium experiences, they require a dedicated strategy.
• The Post-Smartphone Future: Major tech companies are investing in spatial computing as the next platform shift. The goal is to merge VR/MR's spatial power into AI glasses, unlocking new behaviors and monetization models on par with the smartphone's arrival.
• Gaming Becomes Universal: By 2029, virtually all online adults will be gamers, driving the global gamer population to 3.7B. This massive, universal audience will fuel a $214B global market, with mobile remaining the largest and fastest-growing segment.
• New Digital Markets Are Surging: The legalization of sports betting is creating a massive new market, with the total amount wagered in the U.S. projected to reach $215B annually by 2029 as it becomes legal in an expected 48 states.

“The 2026 Outlook reveals a collapse of industry silos,” said Michael J. Wolf, Activate Consulting CEO and Co-Founder. “We are now in an era where social platforms are video companies, e-commerce sites are $100B media businesses, and gaming platforms are the new social hubs. Our forecasts show that the fight for the ~13 hours consumers spend with media each day is forcing every company, no matter the sector, to operate like a tech-and-media company. The result is a single, integrated landscape where the winners are those who can play across all of it.”

The full Activate Technology & Media Outlook 2026 is available for download: https://www.activate.com/insights/outlook-2026

About Activate Consulting:

Activate Consulting is the leading management consulting firm specialized in technology, internet, media, and entertainment businesses. Activate partners with CEOs and senior management teams on growth strategy, revenue activation, and technology-enabled experiences helping organizations unlock growth and navigate the complexity of today’s consumer, technology, and content worlds while discovering new opportunities. The firm is leading clients into the AI era through advanced programming and production, audience research, editorial development, advertising sales transformation, audience growth, and the creation of new AI-enabled businesses. Activate’s clients span eCommerce and marketplaces, telecommunications, media and internet, sports, video games, mobile applications, information services, hardware and devices, video and news, B2B information and software, and consumer services.

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KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY ELECTRONIC GAMES GENERAL SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT CONSULTING MEDIA ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SPORTS SOFTWARE COMMUNICATIONS INTERNET HARDWARE

SOURCE: Activate Consulting

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PUB: 11/05/2025 02:25 PM/DISC: 11/05/2025 02:25 PM

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