Screen Producers Australia (SPA) today welcomes the release of the ACMA report on Spending by subscription video on demand providers for the 2021-22 financial year.
The overall spending figure that is self-reported by SVODs demonstrates that Australia is a highly successful market for subscription services that, for various reasons, are investing in Australian productions.
It also demonstrates the capacity of the Australian screen industry to grow rapidly in response to investment opportunities. SPA believes that conditions are right to capitalise on this growth through increased skills development and an industry plan for well-managed and permanent growth.
The investment figures appear closer to the 20% reinvestment in Australian stories that Screen Producers Australia is calling for, suggesting that this is a clearly achievable outcome and will establish a long-term plan for our industry ensuring Australian stories continue to be delivered to the Australian public on what are often successful, important, international services in the short, medium, and long term.
SPA notes some important areas that require more focus:
- The ongoing decline in different key genres, such as children’s drama and factual, as well as the need for stable drama investment, continues to be the priority and should be specifically addressed in regulation.
- Reported spending figures also include “acquired” titles and include costly Australian sports titles, which somewhat distort the overall picture Regulation should be focused on delivering new Australian works in genres that are undersupplied and for which market interventions have proven necessary over the long term.
- The commercial deals that underpin the expenditure captured in this report on Australian-created stories are increasingly disastrous for Australian businesses and creators. Without a “terms of trade” framework, Australian producers are losing creative control and ownership of valuable IP in the titles they create – this needs to be fixed as a priority.
“Today’s report again highlights the need for a regulatory plan for streaming services to make fair contributions to our sector and to their viewing audiences over the long term across a diverse range of content and providers,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.
“It also highlights the dire situation for Australian children’s content, with the ACMA report released today echoing the alarming figures reported in the Screen Australia Drama report released earlier this month. We look forward to working with the Government that progresses this after nearly 10 years of delays,” said Mr Deaner.
The long-awaited government regulation of streaming platforms to ensure a minimum investment requirement – re-confirmed last week by the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for the Arts – will bring much-needed stability to the screen sector and put the industry on a surer footing for future growth.
The forthcoming National Cultural Policy, due for release next month, will be an opportunity for a re-set across government and ensure the government both invests in and measures what matters to Australians.
Link to ACMA report on Spending by subscription video on demand providers: 2021–22 financial year HERE.
Media Release – Screen Producers Australia
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