Pay TV tops $796m local production in 2014/15
Subscription TV's year chalks up record investment, 8370 jobs and new highs in Factual TV.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Subscription
The subscription television industry invested a record $796 million in Australian screen content in 2014/15, according to new figures released today at the ASTRA Conference.
The figures, audited by PwC, showed that employment had grown to 8370 jobs, and the industry grew the economy by more than $2 billion.
2014/15 included a record $25 million in factual programming to coincide with the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, with programs including The Memorial: Beyond the ANZAC Legend, as well as local documentaries Abalone Wars and Coast Australia. The Deadline Gallipoli drama also marked the ANZAC centenary.
“The industry’s $796 million investment in local screen production is at a record high, reflecting the unprecedented desire of Australian audiences to watch Australian stories,” ASTRA Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Maiden, said today.
“Audience research shows a renewed interest in local content, making Australian production a key differentiator for the subscription television industry at a time when new streaming services are entering the market.
“This year’s expenditure brings to $6.5 billion the value of our total investment in the Australian production sector in the past decade,” he said.
Sport represented the largest genre on subscription television, with more 23,180 hours of first run Australian content broadcast during the period.
ASTRA members also exported 13,119 hours of local content to overseas audiences, helping promote Australian stories to audiences throughout the world.
For the first time the ASTRA survey measured the production of digital content by subscription television channels. 1243 hours of digital content were produced for digital consumption outside traditional broadcasts.
2014/15 Subscription TV production in Australia:
Overall investment
Total expenditure on Australian content
$796.2 million
Broadcast hours
Total hours of first-run Australian content
57,716 hours
Total hours of Australian content including repeats
253,194 hours
Exported content
Total hours of Australian content exported overseas and available to foreign audiences
13,119 hours
Employment
Full-time equivalent employees
8,370 jobs
Economic value add
Total value added to the Australian economy
$2.083 billion
3 Responses
Another bit of Foxtel spin. Take sport out of the equation and the Australian spend is miniscule. PAY TV drama channels have to spend 10% of their acquisition budget on Australian drama, a derisory amount. They opposed spending even this amount when PAY TV came to Australia. But Russell is right about Netflix. They have little interest in local drama or documentary content and government does not know how to regulate them to ensure local content.
So Foxtel $800 million
Netflix $0
To all those championing how amazing Netflix is, let’s remember that Netflix is a multi billion company that does not employ one Australian or spend one cent on Australian productions
Firstly, welcome to the PR department from Foxtel. Secondly Netlfix has only been operating in Australia for a few months. It would make no sense for them to be producing expensive Australian products just yet.
What they need to do is start with something bold. Pick up the Batavia miniseries that Ten couldn’t finance. Amazing true story which would have international appeal. That sort of thing would be the best intro to producing content in Australia.