About the Report

The Drama Report covers the production of feature films, TV drama and narrative online content by financial year. The report incorporates data gathered through surveys and publicly available sources to provide a holistic view of drama production activity in Australia. Data is presented for the past five years, 2019/20 to 2023/24. International titles are included if they are shot (or substantially shot) in Australia, or have post, digital or visual effects (PDV) work carried out in Australia without shooting here.

The report has been issued by Screen Australia and its predecessors for 34 years, and its approach has been revised as required, to ensure that it remains relevant to government and the sector. Since 2021/22, Australian drama has been analysed by first-release platform in the following categories:

  • Australian theatrical features
  • Australian general TV and Video-On-Demand (VOD) drama
    • general free-to-air (FTA) TV and Broadcaster Video-On-Demand (BVOD) drama
    • general subscription TV and Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) drama
    • general Advertising-based Video-On-Demand (AVOD), Transactional Video-On-Demand (TVOD) and other online drama
  • Australian children's TV/VOD.
A still from the TV series Top End Bub

See Key Terms and Methodology for definitions of the first release categories listed above, as well as other terms used in the report.

Titles are categorised by first-release distribution platform because it is generally a close proxy for the primary commissioning platform1. This approach has been taken in previous Drama Reports, and retaining this methodology allows for comparability with previous results. However, it is worth noting that in some cases, the first-release platform will not generate the majority of funding or audience for a title. As more titles appear on multiple platforms within short or simultaneous windowing structures, Screen Australia will explore how best to reflect this in future.

Where data is not available through surveys and publicly available sources, including for projects that are yet to be finalised at the time of survey, estimations have been used. Previous years' figures are subject to revision in subsequent Drama Reports as updated data or additional titles are identified.

Aggregated spend2 figures for previous years have not been adjusted for inflation. Results should therefore be considered indicative at a point in time, and should not be viewed as a precise measurement.

Feature films and TV drama represent about 33% of all audio-visual production spend in Australia3 (excluding children's drama and short-form online productions).4 Other areas of activity include documentaries, light entertainment, commercials, music videos, corporate videos, sport, news and current affairs. These other areas of activity are not covered by the Drama Report; however, data on the broader screen sector capturing these categories can be found on the statistics section of the Screen Australia website.

Visit Screen News for articles, podcasts and videos with drama creators.

  • 1 Every year, a small proportion of titles do not provide information to Screen Australia on finance sources. This makes it difficult for Screen Australia to ascertain their commissioning platforms, and this task has become increasingly challenging in recent years because in some cases multiple commissioning platforms are owned by the same entity.
  • 2 The terms 'spend' and 'expenditure', which are used interchangeably throughout the report, are defined as 'spend in Australia'.
  • 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Film, Television and Digital Games Australia, 2021–22.
  • 4 Production spend data for children's drama and short-form online productions were not available as part of the 2021–22 ABS Film, Television and Digital Games Australia release and so are not included in these figures.

Drama Report 2023/24

Drama Report 2023/24: Key Findings (.pdf)

Overview

Screen production continues to be impacted by economic conditions globally, with production trends reflecting multi-faceted disruptions to distribution platforms and business models, underpinned by evolving audience behaviour and media consolidation. Production was also affected in 2023/24 by US industrial action during May to November 2023 and uncertainty regarding changes to the now confirmed Location Offset legislation. These factors may have led to projects being postponed or cancelled during 2023/24.

Despite these challenges, screen production in Australian amounted to $1.7 billion in expenditure from 169 Australian and international titles. Expenditure was down by 29% on last year and 10% below the 5-year average, primarily due to reduced high-budget production activity across the categories of international TV, and Australian theatrical features. This likely marks the end of a three-year high expenditure cycle that resulted from Australia's relatively stable COVID-safe production conditions, high-budget theatrical features, and increased investment from streaming platforms.

With the US industrial action and Location Offset incentive now resolved, the Australian industry could see the return of more high-budget titles to production in 2024/25, although this may be tempered by the ongoing disruption that continues to impact the screen industry globally.

  • $1.7 billion in total expenditure in Australia came from 169 Australian and international titles – 29% down on last year’s spend, and 10% below the 5-year average. This represents a solid result coming off a 3-year high expenditure cycle during 2020 - 2023.

Expenditure in Australia

  • $929 million (55%) of total expenditure came from Australian titles – in particular general TV/VOD titles. Total expenditure was 18% down on last year due to the lack of high-budget Australian features this year.

Australian Theatrical Features

  • $214 million in expenditure on Australian theatrical features – down 42% on last year, and 49% below the 5-year average. This drop was driven by the lack of high-budget Australian titles this year.
  • 36 titles this year – up 6% from last year (34 titles) and on par with 5-year average.

The bulk of theatrical features were produced with a $1-5m budget range (44% of theatrical features), consistent with last year.

General TV/VOD

  • $657 million from 55 Australian general TV/VOD drama titles – on par with previous year (down 3%). This category includes three sub-categories:
    • $188 million from 15 Australian general FTA TV and BVOD titles – spend down 32% on last year, 12% below the 5-year average.
    • $467 million from 27 Australian general subscription TV and SVOD titles – up 17% on last year, 52% above the 5-year average.
    • $3 million from 13 AVOD, TVOD and other titles – spend 49% down from last year’s record high, and 17% below the 5-year average.

Subscription TV/SVOD continues to be the strongest contributor in this category since 2021/22, aligning with the expansion of global streaming platforms into the Australian market and increased output from Stan. In contrast to the growth of the FTA TV/BVOD category last year, this year’s expenditure declined significantly and the number of titles almost halved.

Children's TV/VOD

  • $58 million in expenditure on Australian children’s TV/VOD titles – 29% below last year, 10% below the 5-year average.
  • The number of children's titles reduced from 12 to eight this year, and hours produced declined by 42% to 35 hours.

Australian children's TV/VOD drama includes all titles created for TV and online release. In 2023/24, expenditure on children's content remained limited, with the majority of titles commissioned by the ABC.

Of the eight titles, five were first released by the ABC, one by Ten, one by Stan, and one by Facebook/YouTube. Six titles received funding from Screen Australia and two titles received funding from the ACTF.

Finance Sources: Australian Theatrical Features

The finance sources for Australian features can vary significantly from one year to the next. High‑budget, principally internationally-financed titles can cause large fluctuations. With a lack of high-budget Australian titles in production in 2023/24, funding accessed via the Australian Producer Offset declined by 40% on last year. The absence of high-budget titles also had an impact on international investment in both Australian and international productions, with spend down 68% on last year. Contributions from all Australian government sources and the Australian screen industry remained relatively steady.

  • All Australian government sources5  – Contribution of $33 million, which accounted for 15% of total finance, up by 7 percentage points on last year and 6 percentage points above the 5-year average.
  • Australian Producer Offset6  – Contribution of $75 million, which accounted for 34% of total finance, up by 2 percentage points on last year and 1 percentage point above the 5-year average.
  • Australian private investors7  – Contribution of $17 million, which accounted for 8% of total finance, up by 5 percentage points on last year and 3 percentage points above the 5-year average.
  • Australian screen industry8  – Contribution of $38 million, which accounted for 17% of total finance, up by 7 percentage points on last year and 7 percentage points above the 5-year average.
  • International investment9  – Contribution of $59 million, which accounted for 27% of total finance, down by 21 percentage points on last year and 17 percentage points below the 5-year average. Share of total finance was at its lowest since 2014/15.
  • 5 All Australian government sources includes all forms of direct (grants and investments) and indirect (various rebates and incentives) funding from Australian federal, state and territory agencies and government departments for titles that commenced principal photography during a given financial year. Does not include the Producer Offset, loans and underwriting.
  • 6 The Producer Offset amount is taken from the finance plan of each title. See Key Terms for more information on the Producer Offset. For Screen Australia funded projects, the agency only requires 90% of the anticipated Producer Offset to be included in the finance plan for drama features and TV projects. A producer is entitled to retain the difference for their own purposes, but many producers still include it in the finance plan. For this reason, the Producer Offset amounts given above may be lower than what is eventually received from the Australian Taxation Office for each project.
  • 7 Australian private investors include non-industry individuals or companies (e.g. sponsorship).
  • 8 Australian screen industry includes finance provided by Australian-based producers and production companies, post-production companies, distribution companies, FTA broadcasters (public and commercial), subscription TV networks and channels and VOD platforms. The Producer Offset, cashflowed in various ways, is listed separately.
  • 9 Includes international broadcasters, production companies and producers, distributors, and private, government and other sources.
  • 10 Financial contributions provided outside finance plans, or for subsequent release rights, are not accounted for here.
  • 11 Some businesses share ownership with entities across various platforms, including Channel 9 and Stan, Network 10 and Paramount+, and Foxtel and Binge. Each business is grouped by the following categories, rather than by ownership: public broadcasters, commercial FTA broadcasters and BVOD platforms, subscription TV broadcasters, and Australian and global online streaming platforms
  • 12 Subscription TV broadcaster investment was not for publication ('n.p') this year due to confidentiality reasons.
  • 13 The total investment by first release platforms excludes subscription TV broadcasters this year due to confidentiality reasons.

Finance Sources: TV/VOD

This section reports on the financing of all titles produced for Australian FTA broadcasters, subscription TV providers and VOD platforms: from short-form, low-budget titles to high-end series.

  • All Australian government sources – Contribution of $87 million, which accounted for 12% of total finance. Share of total finance is on par with last year and the 5-year average. Investment in 55 titles, down 19% on last year, and on par with the 5-year average.
  • Australian Producer Offset – Contribution of $170 million, which accounted for 23% of total finance. Share of total finance is on par with last year and 5 percentage points above the 5-year average.
  • Australian Location/PDV Offset – Contribution of $1 million, which accounted for < 1% of total finance, in line with the 5-year average.
  • Australian private investors – Contribution of $2 million, which accounted for < 1% of total finance, in line with the 5-year average. Investment in eight titles, down 38% on last year and on par with the 5-year average.
  • Australian screen industry – Contribution of $252 million, which accounted for 34% of total finance, up by 9 percentage points on last year and 3 percentage points above the 5-year average. Investment in 54 titles, down 22% on last year and comparable to the 5-year average.
  • International investment – Contribution of $220 million, which accounted for 30% of total finance, down by 10 percentage points on last year and 6 percentage points below the 5-year average. Investment in 36 titles, down 22% on last year and on par with the 5-year average.

Fewer titles were produced this year but with higher budgets. The number of titles was down 27% on last year, while investment only decreased marginally by 4% (to $731.9 million).

For the first time in ten years, international investment in Australian TV/VOD decreased (by 29%, on par with the 5-year average) and contracted as a share of total finance (down by 10 percentage points on last year). At the same time, contribution from the Australian screen industry grew, driven largely by a contribution of $241 million from Australian broadcasters, VOD platforms and distributors (36% up on last year and 45% above the 5-year average).

Contribution from Australian government sources (excluding Offset incentives) increased by 14% on last year and was 16% above the 5-year average. This was driven by an increased investment from state and territory agencies: collectively the seven agencies contributed $49 million in 50 titles, which was 40% above the 5-year average. Screen Australia invested $32 million in 34 titles, which was down 15% from last year and 5% below the 5-year average.

Finance Sources: TV/VOD by First Release Platform

This section of the report covers Australian drama production activity10 by first release broadcaster or online streaming service in Australia (i.e. first release 'platform')11.

  • Public broadcasters (FTA channels on ABC, SBS and NITV) – Contribution of $50 million (19% of first release platform finance), which was on par with last year and the 5-year average. Investment in 17 titles, down 26% on last year and 21% below the 5-year average.
  • Commercial free-to-air broadcasters (FTA channels on Seven Network, Channel 9, Network 10) - Contribution of $41 million (16% of finance), which was down 38% on last year and 22% below the 5-year average. Investment in four titles, down 71% on last year and 60% below the 5-year average.
  • Subscription TV broadcasters (Foxtel)12 - Invested in one title, down from two last year and the 5-year average of two titles.
  • Australian and global streaming platforms (Stan, Paramount+, Netflix, Binge, Amazon Prime, Disney+) - Contribution of $168 million (65% of finance), up 14% on last year and 45% above the 5-year average. Investment in 26 titles, up 53% on last year and 57% above the 5-year average.

Australian and global streaming platforms continued to contribute the largest share of investment (65%)13 in TV/VOD drama among release platforms. Its investment value and number of titles both increased this year. In 2023/24, Stan contributed to 12 titles, Netflix and Binge to four titles each, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime to two titles, Acorn and Adult Swim to one title each.

Commercial free-to-air and subscription TV investment declined, and there were significantly fewer titles compared to last year and the 5-year average. In 2023/24, Network 10 contributed to three titles, and Seven Network and Foxtel to one title each.

Public broadcasters invested in fewer titles this year, however, investment remained on par with last year and the 5-year average (ABC is responsible for 89% of investment by public broadcasters). In 2023/24, the ABC contributed to 13 titles, and SBS and NITV to four titles.

  • 10 Financial contributions provided outside finance plans, or for subsequent release rights, are not accounted for here.
  • 11 Some businesses share ownership with entities across various platforms, including Channel 9 and Stan, Network 10 and Paramount+, and Foxtel and Binge. Each business is grouped by the following categories, rather than by ownership: public broadcasters, commercial FTA broadcasters and BVOD platforms, subscription TV broadcasters, and Australian and global online streaming platforms
  • 12 Subscription TV broadcaster investment was not for publication ('n.p') this year due to confidentiality reasons.
  • 13 The total investment by first release platforms excludes subscription TV broadcasters this year due to confidentiality reasons.

International Shoot and PDV-only

  • $768 million of the total expenditure in Australia came from 70 international projects — spend was 39% down on last year, and 13% below the 5-year average.
  • Splitting international projects by 'shoot' titles or 'PDV-only':
    • $501 million from nine international shoot titles — 38% down on last year's spend, and 13% below the 5-year average. Titles included seven features and two VOD dramas that commenced shooting in Australia.
    • $267 million from 61 international PDV-only spend titles — down 40% on last year, and 13% below the 5-year average.
  • Splitting international projects by 'features' or 'TV/VOD'
    • $645 million from international features – 15% down on last year and 35% above the 5-year average.
    • $122 million from international TV/VOD – 75% down on last year and 69% below the 5-year average. This significant drop in spend was due to the lack of high-budget titles.

The global economic downturn, US industrial action and Location Offset legislation uncertainty were likely factors that led to the decline of international expenditure. This was significantly marked for spend on international TV/VOD this year. The pipeline of upcoming projects indicates the industry will expect a rebound next year, although potentially tempered by ongoing business contraction and capacity limitations.

Expenditure by Location

The distribution of expenditure by location is cyclical in nature. In 2023/24, we saw strong growth in expenditure for Western Australia comprised of ten titles that undertook production activity during this year: four features, three SVOD titles and three FTA/BVOD titles. Six titles had budgets over $10 million. The record high for the combined group of Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Tasmania was mostly driven by spend in the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

  • New South Wales - Expenditure was $799 million, which accounted for 47% of total spend in Australia, down by 4 percentage points on last year. Expenditure was 34% down on last year, 11% below the 5-year average.
  • Queensland – Expenditure was $300 million, which accounted for 18% of total spend in Australia, down by 12 percentage points on last year. Expenditure was 57% down on last year, and 28% below the 5-year average.
  • Victoria – Expenditure was $329 million, which accounted for 19% of total spend in Australia, up by 4 percentage points on last year. Expenditure was 7% down on last year, and was 12% below the 5-year average.
  • South Australia – Expenditure was $86 million, which accounted for 5% of total spend in Australia, 2 percentage points up from last year. Expenditure was 6% up on last year, but 25% below the 5-year average.
  • Western Australia – Expenditure was $77 million, which accounted for 5% of total spend in Australia, 4 percentage points up from last year. Expenditure more than tripled on the previous year, and was more than double the 5-year average.
  • Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Tasmania14 – combined expenditure was $105 million, setting a record high for this group that is more than double the 5-year average. It accounted for 6% of total spend in Australia, up from less than 1% in the previous year.
  • 14 Data for the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and Tasmania is combined to preserve the confidentiality of data for titles produced in those locations.

PDV Services for Features and TV/VOD

This section looks at Australian expenditure from PDV services for domestic, international shoot and international PDV-only feature film and TV/VOD titles. A title's total PDV spend has been apportioned across each financial year in which the work occurred.15

This year's PDV expenditure was down 17% on last year's record high, but is still a strong result compared to recent years (15% above the 5-year average).

55% of PDV expenditure was on international PDV-only titles, 40% on Australian titles, and 5% on international shoots. When split by format, 53% of PDV spend was on theatrical features, and 47% on TV/VOD titles. These splits in share of PDV expenditure were on par with results from last year and the 5-year average.

  • $589 million in PDV expenditure from Australian and international projects — spend 17% down on last year, and 15% above the 5-year average. This comprised:
    • $325 million on 104 international PDV-only titles – spend down 20% on last year and 24% above the 5-year average.
    • $233 million on PDV for Australian productions – spend down 13% on last year and 15% above the 5-year average.
    • $31 million on PDV for international shoot titles – spend down 19% on last year and 32% below the 5-year average.
  • 15 This provides a more accurate representation of the PDV work being conducted in each year. However, this is different from the approach taken in previous sections of the Drama Report, which attributes the entire spend to the year in which work commenced. As a consequence, the findings in this section will differ from PDV data presented in previous sections of the Drama Report (e.g. 'International shoot and PDV-only').

Titles 2023/24

Drama Report 2023/24: Titles (.pdf)

Key Terms

Drama

Drama includes the following:

Theatrical feature is a film made for first release incinemas that is at least 60 minutes in length.

Free-to-air (FTA) TV and Broadcaster Video-On-Demand (BVOD) dramais a 'drama' program according to the Broadcasting Services (Australian Content and Children's Television) Standards 2020 (Cth),16 including series/serials, mini-series and telemovies. FTA TV and BVOD drama is content made for first release on Australia's FTA broadcaster TV networks, channels or online platforms, including ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play. Titles must have total durations of 30 minutes or more.

Subscription TV and Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) drama is drama made for first release on subscription TV (including Foxtel) and SVOD services (including Stan, Paramount+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+). Titles must have total durations of 30 minutes or more.

Advertising-based Video-On-Demand (AVOD), Transactional Video-On-Demand (TVOD) and other online drama is content made for first release on online services not captured by the above categories, including AVOD services such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and TVOD services such as iTunes and emerging online services. Titles must have total durations of 30 minutes or more.

General drama is drama made for adult and/or family audiences. It does not include children's drama, which is made specifically for child audiences.

Formats

Series/serials have an unlimited number of episodes (more than 13 in total) and include multi-part programs with episode durations less than one commercial broadcast hour.

A mini-series is a limited series of drama, normally 13 hours or less in length. Each episode is usually a commercial hour in duration.

A telemovie is a single-episode drama made for TV that is a commercial hour or more in length. Series of or related telemovies are counted as individual titles, as set out in a broadcaster's licence agreement.

A single-episode title is a drama made for a VOD platform. Single episodes can be of any length and are measured by actual running time.

Budget/spend

Total budget reports on how much it actually costs to make projects. Total budget is reported for all projects that started shooting during the financial year, with the full budget allocated to the date principal photography (or PDV work in the case of PDV titles) started, rather than allocating a project's budget across years according to the year in which the work took place.

Total spend/expenditure reports on how much of the total budget was spent in Australia. This measure is particularly relevant for co-productions and international productions. Again, all expenditure is allocated to the date principal photography or PDV work in Australia began, rather than allocating spend across years according to when the work actually took place. Note: this is not the same as 'qualifying Australian production expenditure' (QAPE) for the purpose of the Producer Offset. Some expenditure in Australia is not QAPE, and QAPE can include some expenditure on Australian elements outside of Australia. QAPE is not reported here.

Australian productions

Australian productions include the following:

Domestic productions are projects (other than co-productions) under Australian creative control (that is, where the key elements are predominantly Australian, and the projects were originated and developed by Australians). They include projects under Australian creative control that are 100% internationally-financed.

Co-productions are official co-productions (that is, projects made pursuant to an agreement between the Australian Government and the government of another country).

As official co-productions don't have to pass the 'Significant Australian Content' test to be eligible for the Producer Offset, and may be classified as 'Australian' for the purposes of Australian content obligations applying to broadcasters, the report mainly focuses on domestic and co-production projects as a combined 'Australian' slate.

Other types of production

International productions are projects under international creative control (that is, the projects were originated and developed by non-Australians). These include international projects with an Australian production company operating in a service capacity. A test of creative control and key roles is applied for projects with Australian elements.

In-house productions are projects by Australian TV networks, where no independent production company is credited as producer or co-producer.

Government tax incentives

The Producer Offset is a refundable tax offset (rebate) for producers of Australian feature films, television and other projects.

The Location Offset is a rebate for the production of large-budget film and television projects shot in Australia.

The PDV Offset is a rebate for work on PDV production in Australia, regardless of where a project is filmed.

For more information on these programs, please see the Australian Taxation Office website.

Other key terms

Post, digital and visual effects (PDV) refers to those activities that create audio and visual elements for film, TV or online drama other than by principal photography, pick-ups or physical elements such as sets and props, and includes animation. It also refers to the manipulation of those elements, and includes sound and visual editing, digital effects, creation of computer-generated images (CGI), film laboratory work and duplication services.

As such, it includes a variety of activities that take place not only after the shoot but also during the earlier stages of a project's overall production.

See also Notes on Methodology for more details.

  • 16 See Broadcasting Services (Australian Content and Children's Television) Standards 2020 (Cth), s8.

Notes on Methodology

Faster internet access, advanced screen options and international competition are changing audience behaviour and content production and distribution. Over time, the following methodology changes have been made to the Drama Report to ensure that it remains relevant to the sector. It is advised that these be taken into consideration when undertaking any analysis of time-series datasets.

Log of changes to Screen Australia's Drama Report

2015/16 and prior

Revision

Detail

Duration

Eligibility for inclusion was 60 minutes or longer.

Online drama

Titles made for either subscription TV, an SVOD platform or ABC iview were counted as TV drama.

Projects were excluded if they were:

  • exclusively released on dedicated websites
  • exclusively released on online platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo
  • only available via TVOD services such as iTunes.
2016/17 to current

Revision

Detail

Duration

Eligibility for inclusion for TV and online titles was revised to 30 minutes or longer to accommodate a growing number of short-form drama series, particularly comedy.
2016/17 to 2020/21

Revision

Detail

Duration

Eligibility for inclusion for TV and online titles was revised to 30 minutes or longer to accommodate a growing number of short-form drama series, particularly comedy.

Online drama

The online drama category was introduced, encompassing single-episode or series programs with total durations of 30 minutes or more that have premiered in Australia online via:

  • BVOD (e.g. ABC iview)
  • SVOD (e.g. Stan)
  • AVOD (e.g. YouTube)
  • TVOD (e.g. iTunes).

Titles with a simultaneous TV broadcast and online release were accounted for as TV drama.
2021/22 to current

Revision

Detail

Australian broadcaster and online drama

Australian drama titles were reclassified. New categories were introduced for TV and VOD titles (see About the Report for further details).

  • Australian general FTA TV and BVOD
  • Australian general subscription TV and SVOD
  • Australian general AVOD, TVOD and other online services
  • Australian children’s TV and VOD drama.

Additionally, the 'Australian feature' category was retitled 'Australian theatrical features', clarifying that it includes films made for first release in cinemas.

Notes on Screen Australia's Drama Report

  • The Drama Report is compiled by Screen Australia using production data gathered by Screen Australia's Strategic Policy and Insights unit through contact with production companies and from publicly available sources. PDV data is gathered through surveying PDV companies.
  • Decisions to classify titles into various datasets in this report are made by the Strategic Policy and Industry unit, and should not be interpreted as reflecting any decision from Screen Australia's Producer Offset unit.
  • Every year, a small proportion of titles do not provide information to Screen Australia on finance sources. This makes it difficult for Screen Australia to ascertain their commissioning platforms, and this task has become increasingly challenging in recent years because in some cases multiple commissioning platforms are owned by the same entity.
  • 'Release platform' indicates intended release platform. In some instances, the first release platform/service may not have commissioned titles, even though they obtain first release rights.
  • For a small number of titles, the first release platform/service will not generate the majority of funding or audiences for a particular title. For example, there are a small number of instances where SVOD platforms have been involved with the production of titles alongside FTA TV and BVOD platforms, and these titles are then first released on FTA TV and BVOD platforms. These titles are therefore included in the FTA TV and BVOD category and not in subscription TV and SVOD.
  • The following federal, state and territory government funding agencies have provided data on titles they have funded and, in the case of state and territory agencies, titles shot and/or post-produced in their state or territory: Screen Australia (including the former Film Finance Corporation Australia and the Australian Film Commission), Screen NSW, VicScreen, South Australian Film Corporation, Screen Queensland, Screenwest, Screen Tasmania, Screen Canberra and Screen Territory.
  • In some cases, estimates have been made where data was not available. These include projects where work is yet to be finalised at the time the report is drafted. Total budgets, amount spent in Australia and finance sources reflect data available at the time of production and may change as titles near completion.
  • Data is updated on an ongoing basis when possible, with the result that some discrepancies with previously published reports may appear. The discrepancies reflect new information or adjustments to methodology. For example, some titles in the previous year's dataset were yet to finalise production and post-production at the time of the compilation of the respective Drama Report, and revisions have been made where possible in this report.
  • International projects are included in the report when a substantial amount is shot in Australia or when PDV work is undertaken in Australia. International shoot figures exclude those titles that spend less than 10% of their total budgets in Australia.
  • Features with budgets under $500,000 are only included if they have had a cinema release or screening at a major festival. These titles are often added to the relevant production year data in future Drama Reports.
  • Spend in Australia may include some expenditure on international production elements; for example, fees for non-Australian actors or other individuals while working in Australia. Likewise, spend in a particular state or territory may include fees for elements from outside the state or territory, such as international or interstate cast or crew.
  • When analysing sources of finance, the ABC and SBS are categorised as screen industry, rather than as government sources. This reflects industry perception of the public broadcasters as part of the broadcast sector rather than government screen agencies. In addition to the federal, state and territory screen agencies, government sources may include direct finance from other government agencies and departments, including the Australian Children's Television Foundation, and the Adelaide and Melbourne Film Festival Funds.
  • Funding figures from government agencies may not correlate with the figures in this report because this report includes projects according to the start date of principal photography, rather than contract dates.
  • Data in the Drama Report regarding contributions to drama by content platforms may not correlate with expenditure reported by the ACMA in the Program Expenditure Information (PEI), Broadcasting Financial Results (BFR) or Spending by Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) providers' reports. The Drama Report analyses finance sources in place at the start of production. The PEI reports expenditure by the commercial FTA broadcasters on screened programs during the year, and includes amortisation costs for programs purchased in previous years and programs purchased after completion. For subscription TV, the ACMA reports annual expenditure by drama channels on 'eligible Australian drama', including licence fees, production expenses and limited pre- production costs. Expenditure on features may be apportioned across financial years. Data on spend by SVOD providers reports expenditure in a given year, including on acquisitions of older content, and also includes spend on non-drama programs such as documentaries, light entertainment and reality TV. The Drama Report also differs from the ACMA's reports on commercial TV compliance with Australian content requirements, which classify titles based on their broadcast date on commercial networks – as opposed to the Drama Report, which classifies titles on the date they commenced production. Readers should also note the ACMA's treatment of indexation, and that ACMA data can include expenditure on New Zealand programs. Public broadcasters are not required to report Australian content information to the ACMA.
  • Sketch comedy programs are included in line with ACMA's definition of TV drama under the Broadcasting Services (Australian Content and Children's Television) Standards 2020 (Cth).
  • In categorising titles as either mini-series or series, Screen Australia has followed the definitions set out in Division 10BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth).
  • Series of, or related, telemovies are counted as individual titles, as set out in a broadcaster's licence agreement.
  • Durations for individual FTA and BVOD programs have been rounded to the nearest commercial broadcast hour (15, 30 or 60 minutes as appropriate) including commercial breaks. Subscription TV, SVOD, AVOD, TVOD, and other online programs report actual running time, or as provided by survey respondents.
  • Figures may not total exactly due to rounding.
  • Release strategies for titles reflect information available to Screen Australia at the time of publication.
  • The listing of Screen Australia funded titles reflects information as at November 2024.

Additional tables

Drama Report 2023/24: Additional Tables (.pdf)

User Guide and FAQs

Dashboard User Guide (.pdf)

1. Where can I access the full Drama Report?

The full Drama Report is published as a webpage, which presents this year’s results and key findings together with new interactive dashboards.

While we no longer publish a full PDF version of the Drama Report, you can access a summary of the key findings by downloading the Key Findings PDF.

2. Where can I access the Drama Report as a PDF?

We no longer provide the full report as a PDF. However, if you can download the Key Findings PDF, which gives you a concise summary of the key insights and data.

3. Where can I find the data and analysis that I’m looking for?

The Drama Report is organised by topic areas. We recommend you navigate to the topic you are interested in using the menu on the webpage (e.g. ‘Finance Sources’), which will take you to the analysis and commentary for that section, followed by the relevant data dashboard.

Drama Report (webpage): Using the webpage menu (on the right of the page), click on Drama Report for a drop-down menu to access the topic you are interested in. For example, 'Finance Sources'.

Data Dashboard: within the dashboard, you can click on the ‘Home’ button to access the navigation panel for the dashboard. See the Dashboard User Guide for a walkthrough.

4. Where can I get help to use the data dashboards?

Please see the Drama Report Dashboard User Guide

5. How did you generate the analysis and insights in the Drama Report?

We provide a summary of data collection and methodology in About the Report. For further details, see Key Terms and Notes on Methodology.

6. How can I share the Drama Report with my network?

Copy this link to the Drama Report and share it via your preferred platform. Or you can visit our LinkedIn page and share our post about the report directly to your feed.

If your query is not addressed by the information here, please contact [email protected]

Report Downloads

Drama Report 2023/24: Key Findings (.pdf)

A still from the TV series Life of Kea