The entertainment industry has evolved and grown a life force of its own since the appearance of the coronavirus. Investors who once had their fingers on the market’s pulse now find themselves grasping to understand how exactly the industry has changed. However, there are a few essential things to consider when it comes to an understanding of the entertainment industry. It is large, vast, and constantly changing, just as a society regularly re-evaluates its beauty standards. As a result, here are types of entertainment and a brief description of how people have found solace in it during the Pandemic.

Comics

Since the start of the pandemic, the comic book industry has rapidly grown from quarter-priced comics of the 70s to a billion-dollar industry. However, with new generations retelling old stories almost constantly, evolution is bound to catch up.  With the fast growing number of audience and readers of comic books in these times, comic books are sold not only in bookstores but online as well. A huge percentage of these comic book readers know where to find the best place to buy comics online.

TV Streaming

Anecdotally, the year 2020 was a great year for completionists looking to traverse all of Netflix. Long stretches of isolation resulted in epic binge-a-thons. Netflix, Hulu, Disney, Peacock, and more have been considered essential by many weathering the effects of quarantine. A simple look at the Disney earnings can provide a more complete picture. Entertainment, in this way, provides a vital service if only to assuage boredom. Documentaries have become ways of both satisfying a desire to learn something and escape reality. 

Here are ten streaming on Netflix now.

Sports

There was a reason baseball called itself the “Great American Past-time,” and it was because it offered Americans a reprieve from the boredom of everyday life. However, sports nowadays have turned into billion-dollar industries with new billion-dollar industries sprouting off, seemingly every day. Sports betting, sneaker contracts, McDonald’s menu specials, and more surround athletes as the world loses themselves in fan loyalty. A great example is the spread of American Football in Europe.

Outdoor Recreation

There’s a long tradition in literature, cinema, and philosophy with individuals using nature as a way to heal the soul. Walt Whitman wrote his beloved Leaves of Grass while immersed in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The effect was a book so profound that more than 100 years later, it still celebrates life. In other words, outdoor recreation has become something of a trend following the pandemic. People are discovering and rediscovering nature as a way to heal their souls from the turmoil lurking just out of sight. Investors seeking to understand this market should look at outdoor recreation as a necessity rather than a luxury for certain people.

Books

When thinking of entertainment and how it helps heal a person’s soul, one should look no further than books. As mentioned just above, Walt Whitman does not stand alone when it comes to brilliant literature. The publishing industry will likely explode as a result of the forced quarantine that affected millions. Books represent a wildly growing market for investors as e-books grow in popularity, and yet sales for print books remain surprisingly consistent.

Video Games

Video games have always been a source of pride and healing for many generations. Since the release of the Atari to the PlayStation 5, people are likely to become obsessed with the power of escaping reality; and the allure of immortality as one embarks on epic quests. However, since GameStop’s revival, the world is now beginning to see video games as a viable market for investment. As technology grows, exciting new aspects consider how virtual reality and augmented reality will reshape the world.

Podcasting

With the world being as visual as it is, the concept of listening to the radio may seem strange. However, there are millions of people rediscovering the allure of sound streaming through podcasts. A quick perusal of a podcast library, and it’s easy to understand why podcasts are so, well, addictive; there is something for everyone. 

The beauty of a podcast is the relatively low cost of production. It means that anyone with a smartphone can share their stories. Listeners are attracted to the medium because of how podcasts get consumed, whether running, driving, or washing the dishes. However, most importantly, the replay feature brings the radio into the 21st century. Podcasts allow people to watch television with their ears without completely pulling them out of the real world.

Entertainment offers an escape from reality, and in a world full of uncertainty, such absconding is necessary.