Drama production expenditure in Australia reached an unprecedented AUD$2.7 billion ($1.78 billion) in 2024/25, marking a substantial 43% increase over the previous year, according to Screen Australia‘s newly released Drama Report.
The record spending reflects comprehensive growth across the sector, fueled primarily by high-budget feature films and subscription video-on-demand production. International activity accounted for AUD$678 million ($448 million) of the increase, with foreign productions contributing significantly to the overall uplift.
Of 174 titles that entered production during the period, 71 were Australian productions, representing AUD$1.1 billion ($727 million) in spending on local content — a 14% year-over-year increase. However, this marked a decline in Australian productions’ share of total expenditure, dropping from 50% to 40% compared to 2023/24.
“This strong result is a testament to the hard work and creativity of our screen practitioners, who are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape,” said Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan. “The numbers reflect a complex story of production value and content volume. While there is moderate growth in local drama expenditure, fewer TV titles entered production across free-to-air, subscription-video-on-demand and children’s content, showing ongoing shifts in commissioning behaviour.”
The international production surge proved particularly dramatic, with 20 foreign features filming in Australia generating a record AUD$1 billion ($661 million) in spending. International television and VOD productions added another AUD$458 million ($303 million).
Kate Marks, CEO of Ausfilm, attributed the international boom to Australia’s reformed Location Offset incentive program. “This activity helps sustain the ecosystem that supports Australian stories by keeping our crews working, funding training, enabling investments into screen businesses and building capabilities,” Marks said.
Australian theatrical features saw expenditure jump 76% to AUD$379 million ($250 million), though this was driven by a limited number of high-budget films exceeding AUD$50 million ($33 million). Productions in the AUD$1-5 million ($660,000-$3.3 million) range remained the most common.
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
The television landscape presented a more challenging picture. While subscription TV and SVOD productions spent AUD$492 million ($325 million) on 18 titles (up 5% from the previous year’s 28 titles), free-to-air television expenditure declined 14% to AUD$162 million ($107 million) across 14 titles. Overall, Australian general TV/VOD drama spending remained relatively flat at AUD$654 million ($432 million) across 32 titles, though volume metrics including total titles and hours decreased.
Children’s content experienced a particularly sharp decline, with expenditure falling 41% to AUD$34 million ($22.5 million).
Streaming platforms — both Australian and international — now represent 73% of investment in TV/VOD drama, though fewer titles and hours were produced despite increased spending. Cost-per-hour increased notably, reflecting both demand for premium production values and broader industry cost pressures.
Geographically, Queensland emerged as the top state for screen production for the first time, achieving a record AUD$925 million ($611 million) in local expenditure and capturing 34% of the national market. This represented a 32% increase over the state’s 2022-23 record of AUD$700 million ($462 million). The surge was driven by a steady pipeline of high-budget productions including “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,” “Voltron” and the second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.” International features proved the largest growth area for Queensland, with expenditure more than tripling from the previous year through productions such as “Balls Up,” “Runner” and “Spa Weekend.”
New South Wales captured 31% of spending, followed by Victoria at 27%.
Government support remained substantial, with total contributions reaching AUD$430 million ($284 million), including AUD$317 million ($209 million) from the Producer Offset. Post-production and visual effects work generated AUD$762 million ($504 million) in spending, up 33% year-over-year.
Brennan emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making in the current market environment. As part of Screen Australia’s Corporate Plan 2025-2029, the agency plans to expand its research program, including an updated Production Infrastructure and Capacity Analysis in 2026 and a comprehensive Screen Currency report measuring the economic, social and cultural value of Australian screen and games production.
From Variety US