With UK screen spending rising by 15% to £6.2 billion in 2023 and streaming already reaching 90% of households, the business has shifted fast from seats to screens. Yet cinemas still sold 150 million tickets that year and indie films drew a markedly different audience profile, with 40% BAME representation in 2022. This post pieces together the full picture of how film, high end TV, and VOD are reshaping audiences, jobs, and exports across the UK.
Key Takeaways
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
UK cinema sales hit 150 million in 2023 while screen industries drove major economic growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Audience Metrics19 stats
01
In 2023, UK cinemas sold 150 million tickets, up 25% from 2022
02
TV viewing share for PSB channels: 50% in 2022
03
UK film box office: £1.2 billion in 2023
04
Streaming platforms reached 90% UK households in 2023
05
Peak TV drama audiences averaged 8 million viewers in 2022
06
Children’s TV viewing: 2 hours daily average in 2022
07
Film festival attendance: 500,000 across BFI events in 2023
08
On-demand VOD hours consumed: 25 billion in UK 2022
09
Diversity in audience for indie films: 40% BAME in 2022 surveys
10
Sports rights TV viewing: 4 billion hours in 2022
11
Regional TV viewership: 20% outside London in 2023
12
Cinema under-25 attendance: 30% of total in 2023
13
Podcast-to-TV crossovers reached 5 million listeners-turned-viewers in 2022
14
Live event TV peaks: 15 million for major events like Euros 2022
15
Subscription video growth: 15% YoY to 18 million subs in 2023
16
Film streaming shares: 60% of total viewing in 2023 homes
17
News TV consumption: 1.5 hours daily average 2022
18
International format adaptations viewed by 100 million UK audience cumulatively 2022
19
UK box office for British films: £250 million in 2023
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Economic Contribution20 stats
01
In 2022, the UK film and high-end TV industry contributed £4.7 billion to the UK economy in Gross Value Added (GVA)
02
The UK screen industries generated £13.3 billion GVA in 2019, with film accounting for 25% of this total
03
High-end TV production in the UK added £1.2 billion GVA in 2022, supporting 45,000 jobs
04
UK film exports reached £1.1 billion in 2022, boosting the trade surplus to £800 million
05
The animation sector contributed £540 million GVA to the UK economy in 2021
06
In 2023, film and TV production spend in the UK hit £6.2 billion, a 15% increase from 2022
07
The VFX industry in the UK generated £1.4 billion GVA in 2022
08
UK independent film production spend was £1.3 billion in 2022
09
Total screen sector turnover reached £18.5 billion in 2021
10
Film distribution contributed £450 million to UK GVA in 2019
11
High-end TV attracted £5.5 billion inward investment in 2022
12
UK film tax relief claimed £1.1 billion in 2022/23
13
The commercials sector added £1.2 billion GVA in 2022
14
Post-production services generated £800 million revenue in 2021
15
UK screen industries supported £7.5 billion in supply chain spend in 2022
16
Film exhibition returned £1.8 billion box office in 2023
17
Children's TV production contributed £250 million GVA in 2021
18
Regional screen production outside London was £2.1 billion in 2022
19
UK film studios expansion added £500 million investment in 2023
20
Digital content production grew to £3.2 billion GVA in 2022
Interpretation
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."
03 · Category
Employment Statistics18 stats
01
The UK film industry employed 200,000 people in 2022 across direct and indirect roles
02
ScreenSkills training supported 50,000 trainees in film and TV in 2022/23
03
12,000 freelancers worked in high-end TV production in 2022
04
VFX workforce grew to 25,000 in the UK by 2023
05
BAME representation in senior TV roles increased to 12% in 2022
06
Women comprised 47% of the UK screen workforce in 2021
07
35,000 jobs created by inward investment in film and TV in 2022
08
Animation industry employed 14,000 people in 2022
09
Post-production roles numbered 18,000 in 2023
10
TV drama crew averaged 250 per production in 2022
11
Over 100,000 people worked in film exhibition and distribution in 2019 pre-COVID
12
Disability representation in workforce at 8% in 2022 TV survey
13
Freelance turnover rate in screen industries was 40% annually in 2021
14
5,000 apprenticeships created in screen sector since 2018
15
Regional employment outside London: 60,000 jobs in 2022
16
Game-to-film crossover employed 2,000 specialists in 2023
17
Scripted TV production supported 20,000 direct jobs in 2022
18
UK film crews averaged 150-200 per feature in 2022
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Exports and International20 stats
01
UK films exported to 150 territories generating £1.1 billion in 2022
02
High-end TV sold to 200 international markets in 2022
03
US studio spend in UK: £2.5 billion on 40 productions in 2022
04
UK formats exported: 50 to 100 countries earning £100 million in 2022
05
VFX services for global films: £1 billion exported from UK in 2023
06
Co-productions with Europe: 30 films with €200 million budget in 2022
07
Animation exports: £300 million to North America in 2022
08
Talent exports: 500 UK actors in top 100 US TV roles 2023
09
Distribution deals: 200 UK films sold internationally in 2022
10
Trade surplus in audiovisuals: £600 million in 2022
11
Asia-Pacific sales for UK TV: £150 million growth in 2023
12
Hollywood blockbusters using UK: 25 films contributing £1.8 billion spend 2022
13
MENA region TV deals: 50 UK shows licensed in 2022
14
Latin America format sales: £50 million from UK in 2023
15
China co-productions: 10 films approved with £100 million investment 2022
16
Australia-UK TV co-pros: 20 series with 50% export revenue share
17
Canada partnerships: £200 million in film co-finance 2023
18
UK content on Netflix global: 5% of library from UK 2023
19
Emmy wins for UK shows: 73 nominations in 2023
20
UK box office from US imports: £900 million in 2023
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Production Volumes18 stats
01
In 2022, 1,200 feature films were produced in the UK including co-productions
02
High-end TV episodes produced: 450 in 2022 with £5 billion budget
03
UK animation output: 200 hours of TV content in 2022
04
150 scripted TV series started production in 2023
05
VFX shots delivered: 2.5 million for Hollywood films from UK in 2022
06
Independent films: 300 features completed in 2022
07
Children's programming: 150 hours commissioned in 2022
08
Studio space utilisation: 85% occupancy in 2023 across 20 major facilities
09
Post-production projects: 5,000 TV episodes processed in 2022
10
Documentary output: 400 hours for TV in 2022
11
UK feature film starts: 250 in 2022
12
Co-productions: 50 international film collaborations in 2023
13
Gaming content for TV: 50 hours produced in 2022
14
Regional productions: 40% of total TV output in 2022
15
Big budget films: 30 shot in UK in 2022 with £3bn spend
16
Unscripted TV formats: 1,200 hours in 2022
17
Short films: 2,000 produced annually via BFI Network in 2022
18
Streaming originals: 200 UK commissions in 2023
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Uk Film And Tv Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-film-and-tv-industry-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Uk Film And Tv Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-film-and-tv-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Uk Film And Tv Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-film-and-tv-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level