Your streaming videos and brand new 4K TV are to blame for surging global CO2 emission, experts say

• Research estimates global TV and video streaming industry accounts for 4% of total global emissions
• This is double the aviation industry, four times that of the data center industry
• Nearly 900 million 4K TVs, a big portion of which are large panels, are installed worldwide

The global TV and video streaming industry has become a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing aviation and data centers, according to a new report released by InterDigital in conjunction with market research firm Futuresource.

The report examines the industry’s carbon footprint from production to consumption, and found the streaming industry now emits twice the carbon emissions of the airline sector and four times that of the data center industry.

This impact is driven by increasing demand for entertainment, video communication services, and the widespread adoption of devices such as 4K TVs and smartphones.

Streaming events impact

TVs generated an estimated 54 million tonnes of CO2 in 2024, which the report says is comparable to the annual emissions of 11.7 million cars. There are now 2.2 billion TVs globally, including 858 million 4K TVs (up 18% since 2022), which consume 1.7 times the energy of standard HD models. Total energy consumption across video devices, including TVs, set-top boxes, and smartphones, reached 357TWh in 2024, although this represents a 7% decline from 2022. Smartphones, however, saw a 27% rise in energy consumption since 2020.

Major events have a huge impact. The 2024 Paris Olympics had an estimated media carbon footprint of 602.8 million tonnes, with 1.25 TWh of electricity consumed for streaming across TVs, mobile devices, and laptops.

Efforts to reduce emissions are advancing, with AI-based brightness adjustment technologies projected to lower TV energy consumption by 15% by 2028. Remote production methods for content creation have also shown promise, cutting emissions by up to six times compared to traditional on-site production.

The report calls for industry-wide collaboration to tackle these challenges, particularly in addressing indirect emissions from supply chains and media production. While energy-efficient devices and renewable energy adoption offer pathways to reduce emissions, further action is clearly needed.

“While everyone is aware of the contributions the airline industry makes to greenhouse gas emissions – accounting for 2% of all global greenhouse emissions per year – what isn’t common knowledge is the impact the TV and video streaming industry has. Which is in fact, double the emissions from the airline industry,” said Lionel Oisel, InterDigital’s Head of Video Labs.

“It is the responsibility of the entire industry to make changes that will improve the sustainability of the TV and video sector,” Oisel added. “While change is being made, more can and should be done. Technologies like PVR have the potential to make significant energy savings, even when applied to special events like the Olympics. If this was applied universally, the benefits could be huge, and a game changer for the industry.”