The UK’s entertainment and media sector stands at a remarkable inflection point. Revenue projections show growth from £100 billion in 2024 to over £120 billion by 2028—a trajectory that reflects more than traditional market expansion. Behind these numbers lies a sophisticated integration of financial technology that’s quietly reshaping how digital entertainment generates revenue, something that we will discuss further in this article.
Online gambling where players can find no deposit required bonus currently live live promotions, represents nearly 40% of the UK’s total gambling sector, making it a crucial lens through which to examine this transformation. Yet the implications stretch far beyond gaming. Streaming services, mobile entertainment platforms, and digital content creators are all benefiting from innovations that started in high-transaction-volume environments. The UK’s fintech ecosystem—comprising over 3,300 companies generating £34.7 billion in revenue as of 2025—provides the infrastructure enabling this shift. What we’re witnessing isn’t dramatic disruption, but rather the steady evolution of how entertainment companies convert interest into income.
Pay, play, profit
Payment friction has long been entertainment platforms’ silent revenue killer. Traditional banking processes created gaps between customer intent and transaction completion—gaps that translated directly into lost revenue. Today’s fintech solutions address this challenge through what the industry calls “instant gratification economics.”
Consider Pay N Play technology, pioneered by companies like Trustly. This innovation allows users to deposit funds and begin engaging with entertainment content without traditional registration processes. The impact on conversion rates has been substantial, though operators rarely publicise specific figures. What we do know from FCA analysis is telling: nearly 60% of UK consumers now prefer instant banking solutions over conventional card payments.
This preference shift creates measurable business advantages. Customer acquisition costs decrease when signup friction disappears. More significantly, the traditional withdrawal delays that once lasted several days now complete within minutes. For entertainment platforms operating on thin margins, these improvements compound into meaningful revenue gains.
The technology behind this transformation relies on Open Banking integration, connecting entertainment platforms directly to users’ bank accounts. You’re seeing the practical result of regulatory changes that initially seemed distant from entertainment: PSD2 directives and open banking mandates now directly influence how quickly someone can access digital content or gaming platforms.
Breaking banking barriers
Fintech integration has unlocked revenue streams by expanding market access beyond traditional banking customers. This expansion proves particularly valuable for entertainment platforms targeting younger demographics, who increasingly favour digital banking alternatives over conventional financial services.
The shift creates tangible business opportunities. Entertainment platforms can now serve customers who previously faced barriers accessing digital content due to banking limitations. E-wallet solutions and mobile payment systems enable participation without requiring traditional credit card ownership or lengthy bank verification processes.
Streaming services exemplify this broader market access. The UK streaming market’s projected growth to £8.3 billion by 2028 partly reflects these payment innovations. Advertising-supported subscription tiers, which represent 43% of over-the-top video revenues, depend on sophisticated billing systems that fintech providers enable. These complex monetisation models—combining subscriptions, advertising, and microtransactions—require payment infrastructure that traditional banking couldn’t efficiently support.
Mobile gaming shows perhaps the clearest revenue impact. Smartphone-based entertainment depends entirely on seamless transaction capabilities. When payment processes align with mobile-first user expectations, engagement increases, and spending follows. The convenience factor isn’t just about user experience—it’s about removing the last barriers between entertainment consumption and revenue generation.
From cost centers to profit drivers
Fintech integration transforms entertainment companies’ operational economics in ways that directly impact profitability. Traditional payment methods carried high transaction fees and extended processing times that created ongoing financial drains. Modern fintech solutions address both issues simultaneously.
The global online gambling market’s anticipated growth to $153 billion by 2030 positions payment innovation as a critical competitive advantage. Companies like Trustly, Nuvei, and Paysafe have become attractive investment targets precisely because they enable entertainment platforms to operate more efficiently while serving customers better.
Enhanced security features contribute directly to revenue protection and growth. Two-factor authentication, biometric logins, and advanced encryption reduce fraud risks while eliminating the need for customers to share sensitive card details with entertainment platforms. This security improvement builds consumer confidence, which translates into increased transaction volumes and customer lifetime value.
Fintech solutions help entertainment platforms meet strict UK regulatory standards without slowing down their operations, which is probably the most crucial thing. The UK Gambling Commission’s rules say that businesses must have strong anti-money laundering systems and ways to check customers. Instead of implementing these features in-house, platforms can employ the ready-made tools that fintech companies offer for fraud detection and transaction monitoring. This way, entertainment companies can put more money into making content and getting new customers instead of building compliance infrastructure.
The cumulative influence goes beyond just one platform. As payment systems in the entertainment industry get better, people feel more confident in the business as a whole. This brings in more money and allows for more innovation to happen.
The compound effect of financial innovation
The evidence suggests we’re witnessing the maturation of a fundamental shift in entertainment economics. Fintech integration creates compound benefits across payment efficiency, market expansion, and operational improvement. These advantages work together rather than in isolation, creating sustainable competitive advantages for platforms that embrace financial innovation.
The UK’s position as both a fintech hub and entertainment market leader amplifies these benefits. Our regulatory framework encourages innovation while maintaining consumer protection standards that build market confidence. The resulting environment attracts international investment and positions UK entertainment companies advantageously in global markets.
The £34.7 billion UK fintech sector will help the entertainment industry keep growing in the future. As payment technologies improve and customer expectations change, entertainment platforms that successfully combine new ways to pay will probably get a bigger share of the market. The potential isn’t in big changes, but in small, consistent improvements to how entertainment makes money.
This merging of finance and entertainment is more of a natural evolution than a technical revolution. The companies who are doing well in this environment know that better payments lead to better business. This is a basic idea with big effects for the future of digital entertainment.
