Includes comments from Netflix, Foxtel, Paramount ANZ and Nine Entertainment (parent company of Stan).
The number being batted around is 20% of revenue
Disney reported $700m in Australia
Say half of that is Disney+
20% of that would be $70 million
10% would be $35 million
That’s quite a lot of content that can be made
A confidential stakeholder consultation paper obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age shows the government is actively considering five ways to make global streaming giants create local programs, including a model that requires streaming services to dedicate 20 per cent of annual gross subscription revenue to Australian drama, documentaries and children’s programs.
It is also considering proposals with content obligations of between 5 per cent and 11 per cent, all of which include incentives to encourage production in “at-risk genres”: children’s content and documentaries. However, the models do not count investment in sports and mostly ignore the acquisition of existing local programs or films as ways to meet the requirements of the scheme.
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Then invest in better content mate…
Drama sells, but only ABC and Foxtel really make it. Australia has largely missed the golden era of television drama.
Some reality TV does - E4 in the UK loves filling hours with MAFS and a couple of others now, but only after they bought it as emergency filler during the pandemic and it really took off. It has it’s place but is still considered low value compared to scripted content. The BBC is airing Colin in Accounts now which is superb, but again something not coming from the FTA channels that dominate the volume of content churned out.
Paramount +, Stan and Disney+ are making a fair amount of scripted aussie content
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“TV Networks oppose content requirements for streaming services”
Of course they would when 2/3 of the major commercials own one.
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Free TV broadcasters over-deliver on Australian content
Free TV today welcomed the ACMA’s release of 2021 Australian content quota compliance and FY22 content expenditure data, showing the massive commitment of commercial television broadcasters to great Australian content.
Key points from ACMA’s content expenditure and Australian content quota compliance data are:
- Free TV broadcasters spent more than $1.5bn on Australian content in FY22, a $20m increase on the previous year.
- Around 80 percent of total content expenditure is on Australian programming.
- Commercial television broadcasters show an average of 73% Australian content on their main channels, significantly exceeding their 55% quota obligation.
- Almost 24,000 hours of Australian programming was delivered in 2021 by commercial television broadcasters, despite the ongoing impact of COVID on production output.
- Investment in trusted local news continues to increase – in metropolitan areas, expenditure is at its highest level in five years. News also remains a focus in regional areas, where expenditure increased by more than 10 percent between 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said “Commercial television broadcasters are proudly Australian, and continue to be the single biggest provider of Australian content in both hours and dollars. No other platform comes close to the level of commitment we see from Free TV broadcasters.
“It is positive to see this investment increasing year-on-year, ensuring that every Australian can continue to access the trusted local news, Australian drama and entertainment programming and live and free sport at no cost, no matter where they live or how much they earn. In these times of cost-of-living pressures and social media misinformation, our universal, free service has never been more important.”
The actual report (which is an interactive graphic, no PDF alas): https://www.acma.gov.au/commercial-tv-program-expenditure
Australian content breakdown for FY 21/22 is:
- $544m for sport
- $546m for “light entertainment - other”
- $330m for metro news/caff (“highest in five years” => about $2m more than in 17-18 and 18-19)
- $30m for regional news/caff (-$5m on 17-18)
- $65m on adult drama (down about 1/3 on 17-18)
- $3m in total on kids programming (down from about $25m in 17-18… no surprise there)
- ~$15m on docos (varies a little)
About $400m spent on overseas content; with a big jump in non-drama.
Noting that the definition of this report includes only Australian programs, not including NZ programs not deemed to count towards Australian content quotas.
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Free TV Broadcasters proud to exceed Local Content Quotas
Free TV today welcomed the ACMA’s release of 2022 Australian content quota compliance data, which highlights the huge and ongoing commitment of commercial television broadcasters to delivering great Australian content.
Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair said “This year, commercial television has again shot the lights out in delivering Australian content to Australian audiences – unmatched by any other platform.
“These numbers show that in 2022 all Free TV members vastly exceeded their requirement to show 55% Australian content on their main channel, with an average of 75% across all networks and some broadcasters reaching over 80%.
“On non-primary channels, Free TV broadcasters showed more than double the required number of hours and delivered over 25,000 hours of Australian content across their main and additional channels.
“We are committed to bringing Australians the great local drama, trusted news, live and free sport and captivating entertainment that they love. Our services are available for free to every Australian, and create national moments that bring the country together through compelling Australian stories, sporting triumphs and information people can rely on.
“No other platform even comes close to delivering this much Australian programming, year in, year out. Commercial television proudly remains the home of local content and the cornerstone of the Australian production industry.” Ms Fair said.
Key points from ACMA’s Australian content quota compliance data are:
- Commercial broadcasters have over-delivered on content quotas, broadcasting an average of 75% Australian content on their primary channels (up from 73% last year). Each broadcaster exceeded the 55% (between 6am and midnight) quota
- Free TV broadcasters provided audiences with over 25,000 hours of Australian content.
- Commercial broadcasters also exceeded the Australian content quota on their non-primary channels, broadcasting an average of 3,538 hours of Australian content between 6pm and midnight – more than double the required hours and a 15% increase on last year.
- All regional licensees exceeded the transmission quotas for Australian content, on both primary channels and non-primary channels.
- The Australian Content and Children’s Television Standards (ACCTS) requires commercial television licensees to broadcast at least 250 points of first release Australian programs, across certain genres, each calendar year. All metropolitan licensees overdelivered on the annual points quota under the ACCTS, averaging 319 points across the year.
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Commercial Free-To-Air Networks are failing Australian Children
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) today acknowledges the latest ACMA report, which reveals the 2022 compliance results for Australian content on both metropolitan and regional commercial television licensees (the ACCTS). The report once again highlights the failure of Australian commercial free-to-air channels to serve the nation’s children.
ACCTS figures show that in 2022, Australian commercial free-to-air channels broadcast a total of just 95 hours of Australian children’s programs, equating to just one Australian non-drama series of 85 hours on Network Nine and one 10-hour children’s drama on Network Ten. There were no first-release children’s programs reported for Network Seven.
In 2019, before the introduction of the much-weakened ACCTS framework, this total figure was 605 hours. The results released today highlight the drastic decline of over 500 less hours of new release Australian children’s programs on Australian commercial networks.
SPA believes it is important that Australian audiences have access to a variety of Australian programs on free-to-air television for important socio-economic and public interest reasons and as part of the important ‘quid pro quo’ associated with various protections and regulatory advantages afforded broadcast television, including the anti-siphoning scheme.
“These 2022 results for the ACCTs, just like those from the previous year, are damming evidence of the failure of this framework to provide Australian children with any content that reflects their own lives and their own experiences,” SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said.
“And when it comes to first release Australian drama, both Seven and Ten rely heavily on low-cost drama programs, with just 35 hours (or 15%) of new drama programs being higher cost and higher quality Australian drama programs – the outcome of which is the complete opposite of what the scheme was supposedly intended to deliver.
Link to 2020 statement from Paul Fletcher MP discussing the scheme HERE.
“There’s no doubt that the current ACCTs framework is leading to a lack of diversity of new release Australian programs on commercial free-to-air channels and is in urgent need of a review – originally promised for 2022.
“In representing the commercial broadcasters, Free TV Australia attempts to emphasise the importance of making Australian content freely available to Australian audiences but are completely missing in action when it comes to Australian children.
“At the same time, they are attempting to stand in the way of a 20% reinvestment obligation for their online streaming competitors. A meaningful 20% reinvestment obligation - in line with the National Cultural Policy - would create a funding pipeline to safeguard Australian stories.
“Commercial broadcasters are failing Australian audiences when it comes to investing in first-release children’s and quality drama content, yet they oppose streaming services being required to provide these.
“If they have their way on this, Australian audiences will continue to miss out on seeing culturally significant Australian stories and heritage on our screens. We cannot allow this to happen,” SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said.
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Both proposals for forced Australian content on the streamers would be pennies in the ocean for them. Particular Netflix.
Netflix is spending over $2b US on Korean content which is a niche language and a small population. If that can be profitable then Australian content in English should be no problem.
A large amount of streaming in the US is of “foreign” titles. Netflix, Prime, Disney, P+ etc should have no problem getting AUstralian content to “travel” the world.
Seven in breach of local content rules:
Seven has not broadcast any local content in Mildura during the 16-month period since it has had a regulatory obligation to do so.
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