From Istanbul's bustling studios to living rooms across the globe, the Turkish TV industry is a storytelling powerhouse that in 2023 alone produced 45 new prime-time series, generated over a billion dollars from exporting its addictive dramas to 140 countries, and captivated 65% of Turkish households every single evening.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Turkey produced 45 new prime-time TV series (dizis), marking a 12% increase from 2022
- Turkish TV channels aired over 8,500 hours of original scripted content in 2022
- Kanal D led production with 15 new dizis launched in 2023
- 'Yalı Çapkını' achieved a 12.5 rating in its premiere episode on November 23, 2022
- 'Kızılcık Şerbeti' averaged 8.7 rating across 2023 season on Show TV
- TRT1's 'Seksenler' finale drew 9.2 million viewers on May 2023
- Turkish TV industry revenue reached 25 billion TL in 2022
- Dizi exports generated $850 million in foreign sales in 2023
- Advertising spend on Turkish TV totaled 12.4 billion TL in 2023
- Turkish dramas exported to 140 countries, generating $1 billion in 2023
- Latin America imported 25 Turkish dizis worth $250 million in 2022
- Middle East sales: $350 million for Turkish TV content in 2023
- Turkish TV industry employed 250,000 people directly in 2023
- 45,000 actors registered with Turkish unions in 2022
- TV production crews averaged 300 staff per dizi in 2023
The thriving Turkish TV industry is growing with strong domestic ratings and major international sales.
Audience Ratings and Viewership
- 'Yalı Çapkını' achieved a 12.5 rating in its premiere episode on November 23, 2022
- 'Kızılcık Şerbeti' averaged 8.7 rating across 2023 season on Show TV
- TRT1's 'Seksenler' finale drew 9.2 million viewers on May 2023
- ATV's 'Bir Zamanlar Çukurova' peaked at 14.3 rating in 2022
- Kanal D's 'Yargı' held 10.1 average rating for Season 2 in 2023
- Star TV's 'Sefirin Kızı' finale rating was 11.8 on May 2021
- Fox's 'Sen Çal Kapımı' averaged 7.5 rating over 52 episodes in 2020-2021
- 65% of Turkish households watched prime-time dizis daily in 2023 survey
- 'Gönül Dağı' reached 8.9 rating average on TRT1 in 2023
- Kanal 7's 'Uğurlar Olsun' had 6.2 peak rating in 2023
- Prime-time slot (20:00-23:00) captured 42% audience share in 2022
- Children aged 4-14 watched 3.2 hours of TV daily in 2023
- 'Kardeşlerim' on ATV averaged 9.1 rating in 2023
- 55% female audience dominance in drama viewership per 2023 Nielsen
- 'Ruhsar' rerun on TRT achieved 4.5 rating in 2023
- Evening news averaged 5.8 rating across channels in 2022
- BluTV subscribers watched 2.1 hours daily average in 2023
- 'Taş Kağıt Makas' premiered with 7.9 rating on Show TV 2023
- Urban areas had 28% higher dizis viewership than rural in 2023
- 'Kızıl Goncalar' averaged 6.4 rating on Fox in 2023
- Sports events drew 15.2 million peak viewers for Euro 2024 qualifiers
- Morning shows captured 18% share among 25-44 demo in 2022
- 'Adım Farah' peaked at 8.2 rating on Fox 2023
- 72% of viewers aged 35+ preferred local dizis in 2023 poll
- Kanal D news hit 7.1 rating average in 2023
- Reality show 'Survivor Türkiye' finale: 12.4 rating 2023
Audience Ratings and Viewership Interpretation
While the streaming platforms are whispering their promises of global prestige, the unabashedly loud, locally obsessed Turkish drama factory continues to dominate the living rooms of its homeland, proving that nothing captures a nation's heart quite like a prime-time dose of high-stakes romance, family sagas, and historical epics wrapped in a cultural hug.
Employment and Human Resources
- Turkish TV industry employed 250,000 people directly in 2023
- 45,000 actors registered with Turkish unions in 2022
- TV production crews averaged 300 staff per dizi in 2023
- 12,500 directors and writers active in TV sector 2023
- Women comprised 38% of TV production workforce in 2022
- Istanbul TV studios employed 180,000 in 2023
- Average actor salary for leads: 150,000 TL per episode 2023
- 8,200 camera operators and technicians in 2022
- TRT employed 7,500 in TV production divisions 2023
- Freelance writers grew 25% to 4,500 in 2023
- 22% youth (18-24) entry into TV jobs in 2022
- Post-production staff: 15,000 nationwide 2023
- Kanal D workforce: 2,100 in content creation 2023
- Makeup and costume teams averaged 50 per production 2023
- 3,200 journalists in TV newsrooms 2022
- Digital SVOD platforms added 5,000 jobs in 2023
- Average crew contract length: 6 months for dizis 2023
- 65% of TV workers based in Marmara region 2022
- Voice actors for dubbing: 1,800 active 2023
- Location scouts and managers: 2,500 employed 2023
- TV ad agency staff linked to TV: 10,000 in 2022
- Training programs graduated 4,200 new talents in 2023
- Union membership in TV sector: 35% of workforce 2023
Employment and Human Resources Interpretation
While 250,000 Turks find their daily bread in television, with armies of 300-strong crews and lead actors commanding royal ransoms per episode, the industry's glittering machine still hums on a foundation of largely freelance, union-light, and regionally concentrated six-month contracts.
Financial Metrics and Revenue
- Turkish TV industry revenue reached 25 billion TL in 2022
- Dizi exports generated $850 million in foreign sales in 2023
- Advertising spend on Turkish TV totaled 12.4 billion TL in 2023
- Average production cost per dizi episode: 1.2 million TL in 2023
- Kanal D's annual revenue from TV: 4.5 billion TL in 2022
- Subscription video-on-demand revenue grew 35% to 1.8 billion TL in 2023
- TRT budget allocation for TV production: 2.1 billion TL in 2023
- Pay TV market size: 3.2 billion TL in 2022
- ATV advertising revenue: 2.8 billion TL in 2023
- BluTV investment from Demirören: 500 million TL in 2023
- Star TV's sponsorship deals worth 900 million TL in 2022
- Total TV rights deals for sports: 4.1 billion TL in 2023
- Fox Turkey operational profit: 650 million TL in 2023
- Merchandising from dizis generated 300 million TL in 2022
- Kanal 7 revenue from religious programming: 1.1 billion TL 2023
- Digital ad revenue on TV platforms: 2.3 billion TL growth in 2023
- Show TV budget for originals: 1.4 billion TL in 2023
- Turkish TV industry FDI: 450 million USD in 2022
- NOW TV revenue from ads: 280 million TL in 2023
- PuhuTV subscription fees: 150 million TL in 2022
- Tele1 production costs covered 70% by ads in 2023
- Overall TV sector profit margin: 18% in 2023
- Dizi licensing fees averaged $200k per episode internationally 2023
Financial Metrics and Revenue Interpretation
Turkey's television industry is spinning quite a lucrative yarn, weaving together massive domestic advertising, booming global exports, and a dizzying array of revenue streams, all while maintaining a healthy 18% profit margin—apparently, drama pays handsomely, in more ways than one.
International Exports and Sales
- Turkish dramas exported to 140 countries, generating $1 billion in 2023
- Latin America imported 25 Turkish dizis worth $250 million in 2022
- Middle East sales: $350 million for Turkish TV content in 2023
- 'Muhteşem Yüzyıl' sold to 85 countries accumulating $100 million
- Spain's Nova channel aired 15 Turkish series in 2023
- Pakistan broadcast 20 Turkish dizis reaching 50 million viewers 2022
- 'Diriliş Ertuğrul' exported to 60 countries for $50 million
- MENA region top buyer with 28% of total exports in 2023
- US Hispanic market sales: $45 million in 2022
- 'Kızım' series licensed to 40 countries post-2021
- Balkans imported $120 million Turkish TV in 2023
- Netflix acquired 10 Turkish originals for global 2023
- 'Şahsiyet' remake rights sold to HBO Asia for $10 million
- Indonesia viewed Turkish dizis 1.2 billion hours on Vidio 2022
- Europe (non-Balkans) sales: $180 million in 2023
- 'Aşk-ı Memnu' historic sales to 50+ countries $40 million
- Brazil's SBT aired 'Fatmagül' reaching 30 million viewers
- Africa content sales grew 40% to $60 million in 2023
- 'Çukur' sold to 72 countries for $35 million total
- Russia imported 18 dizis worth $70 million in 2022
- Prime Video streamed 5 Turkish series in 140 countries 2023
- 'Sadakatsiz' licensed to 55 territories post-2020
- Total international remakes of Turkish dizis: 12 active in 2023
International Exports and Sales Interpretation
From Istanbul to your living room, Turkey has become the world's leading supplier of high-stakes family drama, cultural intrigue, and historical epic, generating a cool billion dollars last year by proving that a well-told story, regardless of language, is a universal and highly lucrative currency.
Production and Content Output
- In 2023, Turkey produced 45 new prime-time TV series (dizis), marking a 12% increase from 2022
- Turkish TV channels aired over 8,500 hours of original scripted content in 2022
- Kanal D led production with 15 new dizis launched in 2023
- Average episode length for Turkish dizis reached 140 minutes in 2023, up 5% from previous year
- 72% of Turkish TV productions in 2022 were romantic dramas
- TRT produced 18 documentaries alongside 12 fiction series in 2023
- Istanbul hosted 85% of all Turkish TV series filming locations in 2023
- Number of Turkish TV series seasons totaled 350 across all channels in 2022
- ATV broadcast 1,200 episodes of ongoing dizis in 2023
- 28 new children's TV shows were produced in Turkey in 2023
- Turkish TV reality shows production rose to 42 programs in 2022
- Fox Turkey produced 9 comedy series in 2023
- Total scripted content investment hit 2.5 billion TL in 2023 for production
- 65% of dizis featured female leads aged 25-35 in 2022
- Star TV launched 11 historical dramas in 2023
- Number of talk shows produced annually reached 150 in 2023
- Tele1 independent channel produced 5 investigative series in 2023
- Turkish TV sports broadcasts covered 4,200 live events in 2022
- NOW TV produced 7 thriller series in 2023
- 92% of Turkish TV productions used digital VFX in 2023
- Kanal 7 aired 22 religious-themed series in 2022
- Total news program hours exceeded 15,000 on Turkish TV in 2023
- BluTV original series count reached 25 in 2023
- Show TV produced 14 family dramas in 2023
- 40% of productions were co-productions with international partners in 2022
- TRT1 historical epics averaged 22 episodes per season in 2023
- Number of variety shows produced hit 110 in 2023
- PuhuTV launched 8 youth-oriented series in 2023
- Turkish TV animation productions numbered 15 series in 2022
- Total drama series episodes broadcast: 5,200 in 2023
Production and Content Output Interpretation
While Turkish television is delivering more content than ever—from 140-minute romantic marathons to a mountain of historical epics—the real drama seems to be playing out behind the scenes, where relentless production and a staggering 5,200 annual episodes suggest that the nation's screens are engaged in a determined, if slightly exhausting, cultural takeover of the airwaves.
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