Entertainment
The entertainment industry is made up of multiple, distinct sub-markets. One way to break it down is to consider the content or activity type, for example:
Digital content, inclusive of video streaming and downloads, news access and subscriptions, audio content purchases (i.e., books, stories, music, podcasts), and video games (i.e., game purchases, in-game purchases)
Events , inclusive of events ticketing to sports games , concerts, etc .
Online gaming and betting, inclusive of sports betting, casino games, and other wager-based betting experiences
Another way to consider the market is by the key players, like Consumers, Content Creators, Distributors/Platforms, and Advertisers. In either instance, if you are an organization working within one of these markets, you offer end users access to fun and leisure, and end users have high expectations for related experiences – including payments. As a result, you must take a more systematic and intentional approach to your payments strategy.
Glenbrook supports entertainment companies to address the following common questions
How should our payments strategy support our growth strategy?
How should we support tokenization, if at all?
What fraud vectors should we be most concerned about and how do we best mitigate those?
What is the optimal team configuration to support our payments strategy?
What is the optimal architecture to support our objectives?
Are we using the right payments partners?
What orchestration approaches are most meaningful to us?
Are we exposed to churn risk? If so, how do we best manage it?
Our Clients
Gaming Companies
Event Ticket Marketplaces
Newspapers
Digital Music & Audiobook Services
Video Streaming Services
Other Entertainment Companies
Entertainment Case Studies
Resources
Articles
Glenbrook shares our perspectives on activities in the industry.
Demystifying Payments Orchestration: Part 3 – Defining the Payments Orchestration Landscape
The 5 payments orchestration implementation models explored in this post reflect a spectrum of control, customization, and complexity. Understanding the distinct characteristics and where each orchestration model excels and where it introduces risk or limitations is essential for selecting the right fit.
We (Really) Can’t Stop Talking About Tokenization: A 2025 Update
Glenbrook’s Chris Uriarte unpacks network tokenization updates from Visa and Mastercard.
Celebrating the Expansion of Glenbrook’s Leadership Team
Glenbrook is celebrating the expansion of its leadership team by announcing the promotions of Simon Skinner and Joanna Wisniecka to Associate Partner.
Podcasts
Glenbrook speaks with industry leaders to share a variety of perspectives on the latest payments trends and activities.
Episode 288 – The First 25 Years of Glenbrook – Fanning the Flames with our Founders
For Glenbrook’s 25th Anniversary, we speak with the three founding partners – Carol Coye Benson, Scott Loftesness, and Allen Weinberg – to celebrate the progress of the industry and the firm.
Listen in as they recall the early days of the firm, discuss how Glenbrook’s strategy work expanded to form our education and global practices, consider the evolution of the “payments professional”, and reflect on payments industry shifts over their years both in and out of Glenbrook.
Episode 287 – Fanning the Flames – State of Stablecoins 2026
Join Glenbrook’s Russ Jones and Ashley Lannquist for a detailed discussion on the state of stablecoins, focusing on market developments, regulatory and policy impacts, usage patterns, and competition from other improved payments systems.
Episode 286 – Understanding Trust in the Modern Agentic and Digital Economy, with Jenny Hadlow and Rory O’Neill, Checkout.com
In this episode, Chris Uriarte welcomes Jenny Hadlow, COO, and Rory O’Neill, CMO, from Checkout.com to discuss the findings from their recent report “Trust in the Digital Economy 2025” and explore the interesting dimensions of trust that merchants, consumers, and service providers need to be aware of in today’s ever changing digital (and agentic) economy.
News
Glenbrook objectively curates the news to keep you abreast of important daily headlines in payments.
Next-Gen Payment Cards: Virtual Solutions With No Limits [UK]
"The massive trend of 2026 is no-limit virtual cards. They are totally shattering the traditional banking mold, offering unprecedented flexibility, global reach, and zero of the usual restrictions. These virtual solutions are tailor-made for the era of digital nomads,...
Buy Now Pay Later Usage Surges as New Products Proliferate, JD Power Finds
"Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) adoption continues to grow rapidly, with 37% of consumers in the United States making a purchase using this method in the past 90 days, a 5-percentage-point increase in just one year. According to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Buy Now Pay Later...
Swift: Transforming Consumer Payments: Banks Roll Out New Framework for Retail Transactions
"Last year, we announced plans to transform the cross-border payment experience with the launch of a new scheme, designed to ensure consistently fast, predictable and transparent payments worldwide. Thanks to progress in 2026, consumers and small businesses receiving...
Ready to see how Glenbrook can support your entertainment company to be as efficient and effective as possible?