Entertainment Overtakes Automotive as the Second-Largest Business Sector, Interbrand Says

Entertainment has moved up the world's business league table. According to Interbrand's Best Global Brands report, published on 28 October 2026, the sector now ranks second by brand value, ahead of automotive.

Interbrand puts the combined brand value of entertainment companies at $332.5 billion, up 12.4% on the year before (Deadline). Brand value, in Interbrand's method, is its own estimate of how much a company's name and reputation contribute to its business. It is not a share price.

Netflix was one of the fastest risers. Interbrand says the streaming service's brand value grew 22%, and it ranks 23rd among the world's most valuable brands. The firm credits that growth to Netflix's push into live entertainment, sport and advertising.

Two entertainment brands made the overall top ten. Instagram sits seventh and YouTube tenth, and they are the only entertainment names in that group. Apple takes first place, followed by Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Samsung. Oracle ranks 13th.

Further down, Sony is 35th and Spotify 39th. Gaming brands Nintendo and PlayStation both increased their values, according to the report.

What makes this list different from a box-office chart is how the names are chosen. To qualify, a company needs significant revenues outside its home market and a Brand Strength Score of 50 or above, on Interbrand's scale. Research for the report was carried out by Paradigm Sample, a research firm.

Interbrand is owned by Omnicom, the US advertising and marketing group. Its Global CEO, Gonzalo Brujó, is the public face of the report.

For most readers, the list is less abstract than it sounds. Two of the entertainment brands in the top ten are apps already sitting on a phone home screen. The rest of the sector, from streaming to music to games, is spread across the rankings, with the streaming service Netflix showing the biggest move in this year's ranking.