Screen Producers Australia (SPA) noted the release of the 2023/24 Screen Australia Drama Report, which confirms the collapse of year-on-year investment in the Australian screen industry, with the likelihood of further reductions ahead for the domestic sector in the absence of a stable regulatory framework.
The report provides continued evidence of the downward trend in commissioning for children’s content, a significant fall in investment in Australian film, a continued massive collapse of commercial television investment in the absence of effective regulation, a 17.5% decline in the number of Australian titles year on year and a large reduction in overseas investment from streaming services that should have been mitigated by the commencement of regulation promised to commence on 1 July 2024 but not yet legislated.
“The good news is that the government continues to have at its fingertips a range of known and successful policy levers it could deploy to redress these trends. Some of these require the government to stand up for Australians against large global interests, as has happened before, but this must be done again and quickly to bring about what otherwise looks set to be a continuing slide that will affect Australian jobs and Australian stories on our screens,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.
As a top line, the report confirms the expected downturn in expenditure that is being felt across the Australian screen industry – but the surprise is the level with total expenditure at $1.7b, down by what has proven to be an astonishing 29% from 2022/23.
Spending on all Australian titles has fallen $199m from $1,128m in 2022/23 to $929m or 18% in 2023/24 and from 120 titles to 99. Within this category, the most significant drop has been in free-to-air drama, with that spending down by 32%.
An increase in subscription TV/SVOD titles and spending is mainly due to welcomed increased commissioning by local streamer Stan, unmatched by international platforms. In 2023/24, Stan contributed financing to 12 titles, Netflix and Binge to four titles each, Paramount+, and Prime Video to two titles.
“These figures lay bare what is an ongoing letdown for Australians from international streaming businesses that have disrupted the existing screen ecosystem and received so much from governments in production subsidies and the Australian public by way of subscriptions but continue to return so little to Australians by way of an appropriate level of Australian content these platforms.
The report also points to a range of other areas of concern for the screen industry, including the drop in Australian theatrical features (expenditure down 42%) and the 28% drop in spending on Australian children’s TV/VOD titles.
“Alarmingly, Australian children are finding it more challenging than ever to access their own stories on our screens. If it weren’t for the ABC, there would be very little for our children on their screens, with just eight children’s drama titles in 2023/24, and five of these from the ABC.
“Given the concerns Australian businesses have been sharing for a while about commissioning from many businesses being ‘on ice’ and the flow-on effect of what will be a lag of production activity, Australian drama looks incredibly vulnerable in future years unless urgent and immediate steps are taken to stabilise the sector.
“Our local industry is now exposed to global forces to an unprecedented degree. This is occurring at a time in which, for the first time in nearly 70 years, there are no effective local content rules on the platforms from which Australians receive their screen content.
“The report provides concrete evidence of the need for Australian Government action across various areas. First and foremost, we urgently need the Government to stand up for Australians against powerful global interests and put some fair and reasonable local content rules in place for streaming services.
“Other priority areas include the need for increased funding for ABC and SBS to put a strong foundation in the cultural building blocks of drama, children’s and documentary programs, and increased funding for Screen Australia.
“No government can look at these figures and conclude that all is well in the Australian screen industry. Australian audiences deserve to see and hear their own stories on all platforms. However, this won’t happen until we come to grips with the changes needed to address the disruption being felt and by helping to adapt our industry for the digital age.
“Just as has been the case at many critical points in the past, it is well within the power of government to address these issues. With an election year ahead, SPA will be working with all major parties to develop industry policies that address these slides and build strategies for ensuring jobs for our industry remain a priority and that our stories can be found on our screens,” said Mr Deaner.
Link to Screen Australia reports and discussion papers page HERE.
