Italian Content Production Worth $1.9 Billion as U.S. Streamer Investments Grow, Says MIA Report

variety.com:

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Investment in original content production continues to grow in Italy where resources across all genres reached a total of €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion) thanks to increased investments from U.S.

streamers. But linear TV remains the Italian industry’s main driver. That’s the main takeaway from the annual report on local production presented on Friday by Italy’s TV producers’ association APA at Rome’s MIA market The $1.9 billion pot of cash poured into Italian productions of all types in 2022 represented only a small increase over 2021, which is when local originals were boosted by a 55% post-pandemic growth spurt, according to figures from the APA report.

Film and TV product currently account for 55% of these investments with an increase in resources now going into documentaries and animation product mostly destined for streaming play. “The constantly growing investment from streamers is currently worth almost a third of the total TV market,” said APA chief Chiara Sbarigia.

But she noted that “though we are seeing that starting in 2018 global operators [mostly streamers] have increased investments linear TV remains the main market player in our country.” Sbarigia also pointed out that APA is seeking to “avert the risk of a polarization of the [Italian] market with a scenario that would see [high-end] global productions from the streamers versus [only] domestic productions coming from the local players,” she said.