Colombia Entertainment Market Size and Forecast by Content Type, Delivery Platform, Revenue Model, and End User: 2019-2033

Colombia Entertainment Market Outlook

Evolving into a Latin American Content Powerhouse

The Colombia entertainment market has undergone a transformative evolution, positioning itself as a dominant force within Latin America’s media landscape. In 2024, the market was valued at approximately US$ XX.1 billion, with projections by DataCube Research estimating a growth to US$ XX.85 billion by 2033, marking a robust CAGR of 5.85% from 2025 to 2033. Colombia’s progress is marked by institutional commitment, cost-efficiency, and creative output that appeals to both domestic and international audiences.

From a content development standpoint, the successful adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Netflix in 2024 serves as a landmark in showcasing Colombia’s storytelling prowess and production maturity. Additionally, Colombia’s rising role as a filming location has led to increased visibility in global entertainment supply chains. This includes not only local feature films and series but also high-budget foreign productions, which are attracted by both financial incentives and world-class talent. As a result, the Colombia entertainment industry is no longer confined to regional relevance but is actively exporting culture and narrative identity to global markets.

Legislative Backing and Infrastructure: Drivers, Restraints, and Ecosystem Strength

The Colombia entertainment sector benefits significantly from a well-structured legal framework that has incentivized investment and innovation in audiovisual production. Two cornerstone regulations—Law 814 of 2003 (Film Law) and Law 1556 of 2012—have introduced mechanisms such as the Film Development Fund (FDC) and Certificates of Audiovisual Investment in Colombia (CINA). These frameworks offer fiscal reimbursements of up to 40% for production services and 20% for logistical costs, catalyzing an inflow of foreign productions.

This regulatory backing has transformed Colombia into a cost-effective and professionally capable production destination. In 2023 and 2024, CINA facilitated global projects such as Paddington in Peru, Shadow Force, and Amazon's The Initiated, signaling growing confidence from international studios. The Colombia entertainment ecosystem further benefits from improving internet infrastructure, particularly in urban hubs, where edge computing capabilities have boosted content streaming speed and enabled real-time media access.

Nevertheless, the ecosystem still faces operational bottlenecks in rural connectivity and a fragmented talent upskilling pipeline. These issues limit equal content production capacity across regions and restrict participation from smaller creative collectives, particularly outside major cities like Bogotá and Medellín.

Financial and Export Catalysts: Key Market Impacts

A fundamental driver behind Colombia’s media success is its growing export capacity for entertainment content. According to UNtrade.com, audiovisual exports from Colombia grew by 11.4% in 2023, driven by demand for Spanish-language drama, crime, and historical series. International interest has expanded not only in traditional TV content but also in co-productions with streaming giants.

Meanwhile, improvements in disposable income have enabled broader digital media consumption. As per IMF insights, urban Colombian households spent an average of US$21.7 per month on entertainment content in 2024, up from US$17.2 in 2021. This incremental rise is helping shape demand for premium subscriptions and localized content offerings.

Despite the industry’s growing scale, production budgets remain moderate by global standards. Most independent films are produced with budgets ranging from US$250,000 to US$600,000, though co-productions with foreign investors—leveraging CINA—have helped raise standards. At the same time, major telecoms have invested in streaming infrastructure, ensuring platforms can deliver high-resolution, multilingual, and subtitled content to diverse demographics.

Evolving User Behavior: Digital Consumption and Preferences

Digital content adoption in Colombia is widespread, especially among the youth and middle-income urban groups. Data from 2024 indicates that Colombians, on average, spend 3.1 hours daily on entertainment content, with a substantial portion consumed via mobile devices. Younger audiences (18–34) are driving content innovation, showing preferences for thriller series, documentaries, and bilingual media.

End user behavior in Colombia also reflects a maturing digital subscription culture. Freemium and hybrid models dominate the market, but premium subscriptions are rising—particularly for services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and local platforms such as RTVCPlay, which now serves over 2.3 million users monthly. A notable trend is the bundling of entertainment with telecom services, offering consumers multi-platform access at subsidized rates. This model not only increases ARPU but ensures stable viewer retention across devices.

Strategic Positioning: Brand Leadership, Market Strategies, and Global Distribution

The Colombia entertainment industry is fortified by both local and global production houses. Domestically, players like Caracol Televisión, RCN Studios, and Dynamo Producciones lead in audience engagement, while Netflix and Amazon Studios are deepening local investments through co-productions and localized storytelling.

Strategically, Colombia leverages its global distribution efficiency through partnerships with regional OTT aggregators and direct syndication to US, European, and Asian markets. For instance, Dynamo’s strategic content pipeline with Lionsgate enabled international rollout of action-thriller Shadow Force in late 2023. In another development, RTVC’s alliance with educational institutions supports skills development programs tied to government funding, ensuring a sustainable talent base.

The government is also merging cinematic promotion with tourism strategies. In 2024, the Ministry of Culture and ProColombia launched an integrated initiative showcasing filming locations as travel destinations, incentivizing transmedia storytelling that boosts both sectors.

Conclusion: Sustaining Global Competitiveness through Innovation and Policy

The trajectory of the Colombia entertainment market reflects the power of strategic policy, localized innovation, and international collaboration. By nurturing a balanced ecosystem of regulatory support, content excellence, and export readiness, Colombia has cemented itself as a preferred partner in Latin America's audiovisual domain. Sustained focus on digital infrastructure, training pipelines, and equitable regional access will be crucial in amplifying this success through 2033 and beyond.

Author: Joseph Gomes (Head – Media and Entertainment)

*Research Methodology: This report is based on DataCube’s proprietary 3-stage forecasting model, combining primary research, secondary data triangulation, and expert validation. [Learn more]

Colombia Entertainment Market Segmentation