Behind the dazzling screen magic lies a powerhouse of hard numbers: the UK film and television industry pumped an astonishing £6.2 billion into production last year alone, proving it's a colossal economic engine as much as a cultural one.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the UK film and high-end TV industry contributed £4.7 billion to the UK economy in Gross Value Added (GVA)
- The UK screen industries generated £13.3 billion GVA in 2019, with film accounting for 25% of this total
- High-end TV production in the UK added £1.2 billion GVA in 2022, supporting 45,000 jobs
- The UK film industry employed 200,000 people in 2022 across direct and indirect roles
- ScreenSkills training supported 50,000 trainees in film and TV in 2022/23
- 12,000 freelancers worked in high-end TV production in 2022
- In 2022, 1,200 feature films were produced in the UK including co-productions
- High-end TV episodes produced: 450 in 2022 with £5 billion budget
- UK animation output: 200 hours of TV content in 2022
- In 2023, UK cinemas sold 150 million tickets, up 25% from 2022
- TV viewing share for PSB channels: 50% in 2022
- UK film box office: £1.2 billion in 2023
- UK films exported to 150 territories generating £1.1 billion in 2022
- High-end TV sold to 200 international markets in 2022
- US studio spend in UK: £2.5 billion on 40 productions in 2022
The UK film and television industry is a massive, growing economic force generating billions annually.
Audience Metrics
- In 2023, UK cinemas sold 150 million tickets, up 25% from 2022
- TV viewing share for PSB channels: 50% in 2022
- UK film box office: £1.2 billion in 2023
- Streaming platforms reached 90% UK households in 2023
- Peak TV drama audiences averaged 8 million viewers in 2022
- Children’s TV viewing: 2 hours daily average in 2022
- Film festival attendance: 500,000 across BFI events in 2023
- On-demand VOD hours consumed: 25 billion in UK 2022
- Diversity in audience for indie films: 40% BAME in 2022 surveys
- Sports rights TV viewing: 4 billion hours in 2022
- Regional TV viewership: 20% outside London in 2023
- Cinema under-25 attendance: 30% of total in 2023
- Podcast-to-TV crossovers reached 5 million listeners-turned-viewers in 2022
- Live event TV peaks: 15 million for major events like Euros 2022
- Subscription video growth: 15% YoY to 18 million subs in 2023
- Film streaming shares: 60% of total viewing in 2023 homes
- News TV consumption: 1.5 hours daily average 2022
- International format adaptations viewed by 100 million UK audience cumulatively 2022
- UK box office for British films: £250 million in 2023
Audience Metrics Interpretation
Despite a world of on-demand everything and £1.2 billion at the box office proving we still love the big screen, the UK's true national pastime remains a complex, multi-screen juggling act where we somehow average two hours of kids' TV, binge 25 billion streaming hours, and still rally 15 million strong for a football match, all while keeping traditional broadcasters curiously relevant.
Economic Contribution
- In 2022, the UK film and high-end TV industry contributed £4.7 billion to the UK economy in Gross Value Added (GVA)
- The UK screen industries generated £13.3 billion GVA in 2019, with film accounting for 25% of this total
- High-end TV production in the UK added £1.2 billion GVA in 2022, supporting 45,000 jobs
- UK film exports reached £1.1 billion in 2022, boosting the trade surplus to £800 million
- The animation sector contributed £540 million GVA to the UK economy in 2021
- In 2023, film and TV production spend in the UK hit £6.2 billion, a 15% increase from 2022
- The VFX industry in the UK generated £1.4 billion GVA in 2022
- UK independent film production spend was £1.3 billion in 2022
- Total screen sector turnover reached £18.5 billion in 2021
- Film distribution contributed £450 million to UK GVA in 2019
- High-end TV attracted £5.5 billion inward investment in 2022
- UK film tax relief claimed £1.1 billion in 2022/23
- The commercials sector added £1.2 billion GVA in 2022
- Post-production services generated £800 million revenue in 2021
- UK screen industries supported £7.5 billion in supply chain spend in 2022
- Film exhibition returned £1.8 billion box office in 2023
- Children's TV production contributed £250 million GVA in 2021
- Regional screen production outside London was £2.1 billion in 2022
- UK film studios expansion added £500 million investment in 2023
- Digital content production grew to £3.2 billion GVA in 2022
Economic Contribution Interpretation
Despite the occasional production drama, the UK film and TV industry is clearly not just "lights, camera, action," but rather "lights, camera, a massive and often underestimated chunk of the national economy."
Employment Statistics
- The UK film industry employed 200,000 people in 2022 across direct and indirect roles
- ScreenSkills training supported 50,000 trainees in film and TV in 2022/23
- 12,000 freelancers worked in high-end TV production in 2022
- VFX workforce grew to 25,000 in the UK by 2023
- BAME representation in senior TV roles increased to 12% in 2022
- Women comprised 47% of the UK screen workforce in 2021
- 35,000 jobs created by inward investment in film and TV in 2022
- Animation industry employed 14,000 people in 2022
- Post-production roles numbered 18,000 in 2023
- TV drama crew averaged 250 per production in 2022
- Over 100,000 people worked in film exhibition and distribution in 2019 pre-COVID
- Disability representation in workforce at 8% in 2022 TV survey
- Freelance turnover rate in screen industries was 40% annually in 2021
- 5,000 apprenticeships created in screen sector since 2018
- Regional employment outside London: 60,000 jobs in 2022
- Game-to-film crossover employed 2,000 specialists in 2023
- Scripted TV production supported 20,000 direct jobs in 2022
- UK film crews averaged 150-200 per feature in 2022
Employment Statistics Interpretation
The UK film and TV industry is a bustling, 200,000-strong ecosystem where the camera crew is growing faster than a VFX dragon, the writers' room is nearly half women, and the only thing with a higher turnover than the freelance workforce is the actual film in the projector.
Exports and International
- UK films exported to 150 territories generating £1.1 billion in 2022
- High-end TV sold to 200 international markets in 2022
- US studio spend in UK: £2.5 billion on 40 productions in 2022
- UK formats exported: 50 to 100 countries earning £100 million in 2022
- VFX services for global films: £1 billion exported from UK in 2023
- Co-productions with Europe: 30 films with €200 million budget in 2022
- Animation exports: £300 million to North America in 2022
- Talent exports: 500 UK actors in top 100 US TV roles 2023
- Distribution deals: 200 UK films sold internationally in 2022
- Trade surplus in audiovisuals: £600 million in 2022
- Asia-Pacific sales for UK TV: £150 million growth in 2023
- Hollywood blockbusters using UK: 25 films contributing £1.8 billion spend 2022
- MENA region TV deals: 50 UK shows licensed in 2022
- Latin America format sales: £50 million from UK in 2023
- China co-productions: 10 films approved with £100 million investment 2022
- Australia-UK TV co-pros: 20 series with 50% export revenue share
- Canada partnerships: £200 million in film co-finance 2023
- UK content on Netflix global: 5% of library from UK 2023
- Emmy wins for UK shows: 73 nominations in 2023
- UK box office from US imports: £900 million in 2023
Exports and International Interpretation
The UK film and television industry has masterfully turned the "special relationship" into a global export strategy, proving that from London to Los Angeles and from formats to VFX, we’re not just providing the sets and the talent but also writing a very lucrative script for the entire world to watch.
Production Volumes
- In 2022, 1,200 feature films were produced in the UK including co-productions
- High-end TV episodes produced: 450 in 2022 with £5 billion budget
- UK animation output: 200 hours of TV content in 2022
- 150 scripted TV series started production in 2023
- VFX shots delivered: 2.5 million for Hollywood films from UK in 2022
- Independent films: 300 features completed in 2022
- Children's programming: 150 hours commissioned in 2022
- Studio space utilisation: 85% occupancy in 2023 across 20 major facilities
- Post-production projects: 5,000 TV episodes processed in 2022
- Documentary output: 400 hours for TV in 2022
- UK feature film starts: 250 in 2022
- Co-productions: 50 international film collaborations in 2023
- Gaming content for TV: 50 hours produced in 2022
- Regional productions: 40% of total TV output in 2022
- Big budget films: 30 shot in UK in 2022 with £3bn spend
- Unscripted TV formats: 1,200 hours in 2022
- Short films: 2,000 produced annually via BFI Network in 2022
- Streaming originals: 200 UK commissions in 2023
Production Volumes Interpretation
Clearly, Britain's film and television industry is not just keeping the lights on, but busily constructing an entire power grid of content, from blockbuster spectacles to intimate indies, proving it's equally adept at writing epic scripts and delivering the visual wizardry to bring them to life.
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