The creative arts’ struggles in the digital age are nothing new, and it’s a constant back-and-forth discussion as great live acts emerge while technological advances bring greater convenience to enjoying entertainment at home. We’ve seen how the emergence of a global market has created a whole flurry of people who have benefitted and those who have had to adjust to the changes.  

Live entertainment has had to adapt; there’s been no question about it. Ticket sales, promotions, marketing content- it’s almost all exclusively funneled through the prism of the internet, but that doesn’t mean that the thirst for live entertainment has waned.  

Today, we’re going to look at how, despite entertainment becoming much broader, cheaper, and easier to access online, people still seek live entertainment, and why it is still considered irreplaceable. 

The Power Of Connection 

Despite the innovations of the digital age, many people believe there’s no substitute for authentic, real-life connection. In entertainment, this takes the form of live music, stand-up comedy, or sharing a movie.  

In other areas of entertainment, like casino gaming, the decision becomes more complex, as we have seen digital assets like cryptocurrency fuse with traditional casino games like blackjack.  

Those who play online table games like blackjack understand that, despite the convenience and variety available online, there’s always an appeal for those looking to tap into the game’s social element. This has led to the rise of online blackjack rooms, social media communities, and other digital ideas that aim to bring communities together. 

Networking & Tapping Into The Social Element 

The commodification of entertainment has made online engagement the most crucial metric for monitoring; in fact, it has become an almost tangible way to measure popularity in a world where smartphones are the prism through which billions of people digest their entertainment. 

We’ve seen entirely digital forms of marketing, as well as cryptocurrency assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, all become more prominent forms of payment in the online world.

The goal of live entertainment isn’t to compete with the online market, but to use the online platform to bring people into their orbit rather than actively competing against it. By using these pre-existing networks and social elements, they can expand their reach without having to build entirely new ideas from scratch. 

Growing Demand For Supersized Entertainment 

While big names in music and comedy can shift thousands of tickets effortlessly, stadiums have seen collective growth in ticket sales over the last 12 months.  

By using the building blocks of incredibly popular entertainers but expanding niches, from immersive show-like stadium concerts, promoters can capture the essence of what millions of people still crave from their live entertainment. 

People venture out to see the latest entertainment for dozens of reasons, whether they are checking out summer comedy shows or looking for a date night. However, promoters have had to adjust to the demands of digital entertainment. For instance, when it comes to comedy, many people will sit and watch clips on social media; they’ll quickly flick through a few meme pages, and it doesn’t cost them any money or take as much time as a live event. 

Supersized entertainment has brought more forms of entertainment into the stadium setting; live music isn’t just live music; it can be theatrical events and performances. Some comedians even perform stadium gigs if they have reached a high enough level of fame. 

The Consistent Strength Of Live Entertainment 

Nothing can replace the atmosphere and buzz of attending a show and sharing an enjoyable experience. I can think of many of my best nights with friends at music concerts, seeing our favorite comedians, or all going to the cinema to see a highly anticipated movie, one that we can all experience together and then share our thoughts after it.  

As human beings, we are hard-wired for connection, so despite advances in technology and our ability to do almost anything we want with our phones, some things the ultra-convenient digital world can’t replicate.  

While VR technology may be trying to change this and offer an augmented reality that can bridge this gap, with Meta being the leading name in this field, for now, live entertainment is just as strong now as it was at any point in the last two decades, with the obvious blip in 2020, as you can see in the infographic below. 

Infographic created using AI tools

Continuing To Adapt 

As live entertainment leverages social media and other forms of digital marketing to reach as broad a global audience as possible, it will continue to adapt. Yes, digital platforms can be used effectively to develop an audience and to connect people with their performers.  

However, reading tweets or watching YouTube clips of them perform isn’t the same as taking time and spending money to go and see them in person. 

Technology will keep trying to take money away from the live entertainment sector, but if sports, music, and other performing arts maintain their hardcore audience, then live entertainment, globally speaking, has nothing to worry about.