Netflix and Amazon cut spend on UK shows as British broadcasters fight back
American streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video cut the amount they spent on British-made shows for the first time last year, as the UK’s traditional broadcasters invested a record amount in a fightback against the global streamers.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 spend on programmes from UK production companies rose 12% to a record £1.45bn last year, bouncing back from a decade low in 2020 when the Covid pandemic shut the industry down.
Outlay by pay-TV companies, led by Sky, also reached a new high of £443m, highlighting the resurgence of traditional broadcasters in the battle for viewers being waged with streaming platforms whose growth models are coming under increasing scrutiny by investors and analysts.
“Increased competition from international streamers, as well as Covid-related production backlogs, have driven these increases as broadcasters look to bolster their portfolio of original programming,” said Pact, the body that represents independent UK production companies and published the annual report based on almost 200 members.
Viewers have been spoiled for choice for drama in particular, with spend on the genre bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels last year, including Vigil and The Outlaws on the BBC, Channel 4’s It’s a Sin and ITV’s Trigger Point.
The Pact report shows that before last year the main public service broadcasters and Sky had not significantly increased their spend on making flagship new shows, despite the huge increase in investment from US streaming services over the last decade.
“Broadcasters complain about the deep pockets of the streamers but they have not really been stepping up to the plate,” said John McVay, the chief executive of Pact, which published its annual
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