Local screen investment reaches $796 million

Subscription TV industry invested record $796m in Australian screen content 2014/15

•  $796 million invested in production, $6.5 billion invested over 10 years
•  8,370 jobs created, nearly doubled over 10 years
•  $2 billion added to size of the Australian economy

The subscription television industry invested a record $796 million in Australian screen content in 2014/15, according to new figures released today.

The investment included a record $25 million in factual programming to coincide with the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, with programs including Deadline Gallipoli and The Memorial: Beyond the ANZAC Legend, as well as local documentaries Abalone Wars and Coast Australia.

“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,” said ASTRA chief executive officer Andrew Maiden.

“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.

Measured by hours, sport represented the largest genre on subscription television, with more than 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, revealing that 1,243 hours of digital content had been produced for digital consumption outside traditional broadcasts.

The figures, audited by PwC, also showed that employment had grown to 8,370 jobs, and the industry grew the economy by more than $2 billion.

Source: ASTRA

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