Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Activate Consulting, a management consulting firm focused on technology, internet, media, sports, and e-commerce, has released its highly anticipated Technology & Media Outlook 2026 report.
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.
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 here.
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