Digital entertainment spending passes global box office as streaming transforms Hollywood

Starring in 'Avengers: Endgame' are (from left) Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) and Benedict Wong (Wong). It is now the highest grossing film in history. — Marvel Studios/TNS

Global box office revenue hit a record in 2019, thanks to Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King. But the cinema was no match for the booming market for online viewing.

Consumer spending on digital home entertainment surged to US$48.7bil (RM207.72bil) last year, up 24% from 2018, according to a new report from the Motion Picture Association.