Skillset has defined the interactive media industry on four media platforms (listed below) which often overlap.  The industry produces interactive products for:

• the web and internet – delivered to desktop computers, mobile devices, TVs via set-top boxes, broadband, wireless and dial-up
• interactive television – delivered via set-top-boxes or integrated digital TVs 
• computer games – delivered to desktop computers, TVs, consoles or mobile devices via CD-Rom and DVD
• off-line multimedia (disk based) – delivered to desktop computers, kiosks or TVs via CD-Rom, DVD, mobile content or other magneto-optical media

Interactive media is the newest, biggest and fastest growing industry in the audio visual industries.

This industry is difficult to define so obtaining accurate statistics on the size and shape of the interactive media industry is challenging.  However, Skillset have been able to measure the industry through its annual Employment Census which is dependent on the response rate, and does not include individuals whose primary role is not interactive media and particularly those working within larger organisations.  Freelancers who were not working on Census Day are also not included.

The results of Skillset’s Employment Census estimates that there were 53,200 people employed within web and internet, electronic games and offline media companies. 84% of the workforce was working as employees on a permanent basis and 16% as freelancers.

Source: Skillset 2005a and Skillset 2005b

Click here for more information on:

• different types of work in interactive media
• demographics of the interactive media workforce 

Employment in interactive media by industry and contract type, 2004

Future drivers and trends in interactive media

Future skill requirements and implications for the interactive media industry