Despite Hollywood Strikes & Market Contraction, Streamer Spend In UK Stayed Steady At $900M In 2023 — Pact Census
deadline.comDespite enormous shifts in the global TV industry last year that included the disruptive Hollywood strikes, streamer spend in the UK remained steady at £684M ($895M), according to Pact.
The producer trade body’s annual census, which crunched the numbers from 2023, found total UK producer revenue fell from its record 2022 high by 8% to £3.6B, but revealed the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and Disney continued to splash the cash in strike year.
News of the overall decline was not surprising given that 2023 signaled the end of the boom era, the beginning of market contraction and a major strategic rethink from the U.S.
studios, yet streamer spend holding steady is testament to their commitment to the UK, according to Pact boss John McVay. Even though broadcasting union Bectu reported that 80% of its members were in some way hit by the strikes, McVay said the WGA and SAG’s action may have been overstated. “2023 was clearly a challenging year for the streaming industry and we saw change, cuts and delays, but indies did pretty well,” he said, responding to a question from Deadline at a briefing yesterday morning. “Shows with Americans in them clearly couldn’t be produced but for the Brits we kept working.
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