Technology

Tech Weekly: What's Shaping Digital Growth in Emerging Markets

Analysis brief · February 23, 2026

Executive Summary

The streaming landscape saw consolidation in Southeast Asia, where two major regional players announced a merger that will create a market leader with over 30 million subscribers. Content licensing costs continue to pressure margins. Original regional productions increasingly outperform imported content in engagement and retention metrics.

Gaming and Esports

Mobile gaming remains the fastest-growing gaming segment globally, with emerging markets contributing disproportionately to user growth. India crossed 500 million mobile gamers in 2026.

Real-money skill gaming and fantasy sports saw regulatory refinement in India, with clearer frameworks emerging after several years of uncertainty.

AI Deployment Patterns

AI deployment cost remains a key constraint. Efficient inference, smaller specialized models, and hybrid cloud-edge deployments are emerging as dominant patterns in cost-sensitive markets.

Skill development around AI deployment, not just model development, is becoming a differentiator. Findings published on the community guide library suggest that Markets that built AI deployment expertise are seeing faster practical application across industries.