The Audiovisual sector
in Catalonia

The audiovisual sector is a significant part of Catalonia’s economy, represented currently by 4,161 companies, showing a total turnover of 8,636 billion euros and a workforce of 41,866 people.

Download our report about the audiovisual sector in Catalonia

Audiovisual, a highly innovative sector in Catalonia.

The audiovisual industry is an economic domain that brings together the creation, production, distribution, and exhibition of content combining visual and sound elements. As such, the sector covers a wide range of activities and industries tied to entertainment, communication, and technology.

Search our database to find Catalan companies working in the Audiovisual sector.

Turnover from the Catalan audiovisual sector amounts to €8,636 billion, showing a 14% increase in revenue over the past year. There are 4,161 companies in the sector, most of them being small or medium-sized enterprises and large companies (1% of the total number of companies) invoicing 48.4% of the industry's total revenue.

The audiovisual in Catalonia accounts for 3% of the total GDP and employs 41,866 professionals.

Foreign investment in Barcelona-Catalonia

In the 2020-2024 period, Catalonia attracted 399M€ in foreign audiovisual sector investment. In total, during this period, 73 projects were recorded (+5.8%), which resulted in the creation of almost 4,328 new jobs (an increase of 28.2%).

The main countries of origin for these investments are the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, and France.

4,161 companies
41,866 professionals
€8,636B in turnover

““Barcelona offers ISE enough space to grow, with the necessary accessibility and ecosystem to continue doing so in the future””

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE)

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FDI in creative industries

Catalonia is the 4th region in the EU in terms of the number of projects by creative industries. It also accounts for 8.6% of jobs created in the EU and 4.5% of capital invested. In the 2020-2024 period, Catalonia has become the 5th-ranked EU region in terms of invested capital in the audiovisual industry.

Professional talent and trade shows

Catalonia is a center of excellence in design with a strong base of professional talent. The talent also extends to other fields where Catalonia excels, such as creative and technical experts throughout the entire industry, in some part due to the presence of major full-service media groups such as MediaPro.

Catalonia provides an extensive offering of audiovisual studies and a wide range of audiovisual Master's degrees. This talent also generates a dynamic ecosystem of events and fairs that promote and give visibility to the industry, as well as attracting even more fairs to Catalonia’s capital, such as the Integrated Systems Europe event (ISE), the world’s most relevant audiovisual trade fair, previously held in Amsterdam and now held in Barcelona since 2021.

Audiovisual entertainment in the world

The global audiovisual industry generated $2.8 trillion in revenue in 2023, a 5% increase compared to 2022, and is expected to surpass $3 trillion by the end of 2024. While the United States remains the largest market, accounting for over one-third of global expenditure, the report highlights countries in Asia, such as Indonesia, China, and India, as having the best combination of current market size and growth potential.

Given all this, the sector’s dynamism stems from the digital transition, the ubiquitousness of smartphones, and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.

The report also identifies key trends in the audiovisual sector, including the growth of virtual sets, the shift from linear TV to on-demand streaming, the rise of audio entertainment formats like podcasts, and the growing influence of content creators and influencers as audiovisual generators for mass market consumption.