SVODs spent $335.1 million in Australian content: Study

The ACMA has published the 2021–22 Australian content expenditure data for subscription video on demand (SVOD) service providers.

This is the third year the ACMA has collected SVOD expenditure data on Australian content – data which is provided on a voluntary basis by the SVOD providers. As a recent entrant into the market, this is the first time Paramount+ has participated in this reporting, joining Amazon Prime Video, Disney, Netflix and Stan for 2021–22.

Collectively, the SVOD providers spent $335.1 million on 718 Australian programs in the financial year, up from expenditure of $178.9 million in the previous financial year. Driving this reported increase was a combination of an additional reporting entity and greater investment in the production of Australian adult dramas, documentaries, sports and light entertainment. As part of this, SVOD providers spent $253.7 million on 55 commissioned or co-commissioned Australian programs.

Australians were also able to watch more Australian content on all five services. At 30 June 2022, 2,345 Australian program titles were available to Australian audiences across these services, representing 7,714 hours of available Australian content.

In the 2021–22 financial year, SVOD providers spent $333.4 million on acquiring, producing or investing in 16 Australian-related programs. Australian-related programs are programs that meet some, but not all, of the criteria for an Australian program.

SVOD support for Australian-related programs included commissioning Australian-related programs, producing foreign programs in Australia and providing long-term employment opportunities through local production facilities. For example, one reporting SVOD provided post, digital and visual effects facilities for international feature films and supported 5 foreign productions in Australia which resulted in over 20 Australians hired as crew.

SVOD providers also reported making Australian programs available to international audiences in over 20 countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Japan.