Mobile entertainment revenues will grow to more than $65 billion annually by 2016 according to Juniper Research, with the firm claiming the burgeoning tablet market will spur the surge.

The firm's numbers peg mobile entertainment revenue for 2011 at $36 billion, but growth in games and 'infotainment applications' - a term which Juniper uses to include leisure and lifestyle apps – will see it almost double over the next 5 years.

Richer and richer

This is no games only revolution, however.

"For applications such as streamed TV, multiplayer gaming or casino gambling, tablets offer a richer, more immersive experience than smartphones," explained report author Dr Windsor Holden.

"This is already translating into markedly higher usage - and consumer spend - on selected apps within these areas.”

The firm concludes the market as a whole is increasingly moving east, with China and East Asia set to account for the largest share of mobile entertainment revenues in the coming years.

[source: Juniper Research]