Industry: Entertainment
Entertainment startup funding
Fans keep paying for live shows, sport, music and streaming, yet investors still fear flops and slow cash. We help founders show where the money comes from, and when it lands.
- Figures and investor types for music, screen, live shows and sport
- Investor and lender decks that show rights, ticket sales and payback
- Waveup prepares investor materials for entertainment companies: $3B+ raised for 600+ startups since 2014
In short
What is entertainment startup funding?
Entertainment startup funding is the money music, film and TV, streaming, live and sports companies raise to grow. Tech platforms raise equity from angels and VCs. Films, shows and catalogues also lean on pre-sales, tax credits, royalty advances and loans. US consumers spent $57.3B on live entertainment, excluding sports, in 2025.
- Who it's for
- Music, film and TV, streaming, live and sports companies, pre-seed to Series D+
- What we build
- Investor and lender decks, financial model, valuation, investor list, data room
- Prices
- Deck from $6,000, model from $3,000. Flat fees
- Track record
- $3B+ raised for 600+ startups since 2014
Market data checked on 6 November 2026. Sources are under each section.
What are investors backing in entertainment in 2026?
Live shows, sport, streaming and music, plus the technology behind them. Single films and tours still raise most of their money outside venture capital.
The opportunity
Fans pay for experiences and subscriptions, often months before a show or season starts.
- US spending on live entertainment is well above its 2019 level
- Streaming now takes about half of US TV viewing time
- Recorded music revenue grew for an 11th straight year in 2025
The problem
Hits are hard to call, and most costs land before the first ticket or stream. US spending on cinema tickets in 2025 was still 14% below 2019.
Market size
Where do fans spend, and which parts are growing?
US consumers spent $57.3B on live entertainment, excluding sports, in 2025, BEA data show. Four trends shape where the money goes next:
- Live shows: Live Nation had sold 170 million tickets by October 2026, more than in all of 2025
- Sport: Americans spent $43.5B on tickets to sports events in 2025
- Streaming: it took 49.6% of US TV viewing time in August 2026
- Music subscriptions: IFPI counts 837 million users of paid streaming accounts (2025 data)
Venture capital
Which parts of entertainment still raise venture capital?
AI music and sports streaming now draw the biggest cheques. UK music tech raised £68.8M in 2025.
Series C for Suno, an AI music company, at a $2.45B valuation (Nov 2025)
raised by DAZN, the sports streaming service, across three rounds in 2025
raised by UK music tech companies in 2021, the peak in six years of data
Who invests in entertainment startups?
A UK film financier, a VC, a studio accelerator, music advances and a sports and media owner. Clubs, leagues and sports funds have their own guide: sports private equity. For more names, see our list of entertainment venture capital firms.
Investor database
Media and entertainment investors in our database
The funds with the most media investments. Pick a stage, or open a fund for its cheque sizes.
Top 5 by media investments
Investments by industry
- Media, Events & Entertainment32%
- Software & Apps19%
- Web 3.013%
- Rounds
- SeedSeries ASeries B
- Average cheque
- Not listed
- Based in
- Norwood, United States
- Invests in
- USA
163 investments in total, 20 tagged Media, Events & Entertainment.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Gaming38%
- Web 3.010%
- Media, Events & Entertainment9%
- Rounds
- SeedSeries ASeries BSeries C+
- Average cheque
- $0–$100K$100K–$500K$500K–$1M$1M–$3M$3M–$10M
- Based in
- San Francisco, United States
- Invests in
- Europe, USA, Canada
185 investments in total, 8 tagged Media, Events & Entertainment.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Web 3.023%
- Media, Events & Entertainment17%
- Gaming11%
- Rounds
- Pre-seedSeedSeries A
- Average cheque
- $0–$100K$1M–$3M$3M–$10M$10M–$50M
- Based in
- New York, United States
62 investments in total, 6 tagged Media, Events & Entertainment.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Software & Apps14%
- Media, Events & Entertainment10%
- E-commerce & Retail6%
- Rounds
- SeedSeries ASeries B
- Average cheque
- $0–$100K$1M–$3M$3M–$10M
- Based in
- Singapore, Singapore
60 investments in total, 5 tagged Media, Events & Entertainment.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Gaming27%
- Software & Apps17%
- Web 3.010%
- Media, Events & Entertainment8%
- Rounds
- Pre-seedSeedSeries ASeries BSeries C+
- Average cheque
- $100K–$500K$500K–$1M$1M–$3M$3M–$10M
- Based in
- United States
- Invests in
- Israel, MENA, LatAm +5
118 investments in total, 5 tagged Media, Events & Entertainment.Open the full fund profile
From our investor database.
Why do entertainment pitches stall with investors?
We asked 56 VCs why they say no for our Fundraising 2025 study. Revenue growth, unit economics, burn and missed milestones led their answers, ahead of defensibility and crowded categories. In entertainment, those worries take four shapes.
Little money for independent film
In 2025, domestic UK films drew just 7% of UK film production spend. Most of the money went to films financed from abroad.
What investors ask
- How much of the budget is covered before the shoot starts?
What your deck shows
- The finance plan: pre-sales, tax credit, gap loan and equity, in payback order
- Sales estimates by territory, and who stands behind them
Costs before the curtain
A new live format pays for sets, cast and marketing before it can sell a second season. One show we worked on carried £1.4M of pre-opening investment into its debt raise.
What investors ask
- If one season sells badly, how does the loan get repaid?
What your deck shows
- Cash banked from bookings before opening night
- Launch costs set apart from what a repeat season earns
Songs made by software
AI now lets anyone make a song. Nearly 100 million people had made music on Suno by November 2025, the company says.
What investors ask
- Who owns the rights to what your product uses and makes?
What your deck shows
- Licences signed with labels and publishers, with their terms
- What you pay rights holders, and the margin left after
Thin money after seed
UK music tech companies raised just £10M at growth stage in 2025. Seed money, by contrast, more than doubled over five years.
What investors ask
- Who funds your next round if growth investors stay away?
What your deck shows
- A plan that reaches profit on this round's money
- Other money lined up: advances, loans or a strategic partner
How we help you raise
Flat fees agreed before we start. No success fee on advisory work.
Audience, rights and ticket sales, turned into a case that pays back.
Revenue per show, title or track, and the cash gap before it lands.
What your catalogue, format or platform is worth, with the method shown.
VCs, studio programmes, lenders and buyers that suit your stage.
Rights chains, contracts and ticket data, ready for a buyer's lawyers.
For selling a catalogue, a venue business or a studio.
£3Mdebt raise, in market
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$50Mfund raised
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Read the storyWho we are
Waveup is a London-based fundraising and growth advisory, working in 60+ countries and 90+ industries. Since 2014 we have built the decks, models, CIMs and valuations behind $3B+ raised for 600+ startups.
About usEntertainment startup funding FAQ
How do entertainment startups get funding?
Who are the biggest investors in entertainment?
How does film financing work?
Do VCs invest in music startups?
Can a live entertainment company raise debt instead of equity?
How much does help with an entertainment raise cost?
Raising for an entertainment company?
Share your next season, slate or release plan and the sum you need. We'll point you to the money that suits it, from VCs to lenders.
