Despite the decline, some fundamental characteristics of TV fiction production in Europe remained unchanged: telenovelas accounted for most hours produced (61%).
The European Audiovisual Observatory has published a new report on audiovisual fiction production in Europe, revealing, among other findings, that TV/SVOD fiction production in Europe dropped by 6% across all formats, based on 2023 data.
The report analyzes the volume of fiction films and series produced for TV/SVOD in Europe, their origin, international co-productions, and the central commissioners and producers. Dr. Agnes Schneeberger, an analyst in the Observatory’s Market Information Department, authored the report.
Key Findings of the Report
In 2023, European TV fiction production reached a turning point: titles fell by 6% across all formats.
The steady growth of high-end series (13 episodes or fewer per season) ended, with the number of titles stagnating in 2023 (a 2% decrease compared to the previous year).
More than half of the fiction titles produced in Europe in 2023 were commissioned by public service broadcasters (55%), followed by private broadcasters (31%) and global streaming platforms (14%).
Decline in TV Fiction Production in Europe
The post-pandemic recovery failed to stabilize the European TV fiction market. After a brief return to growth, the production and release of original TV fiction are now in decline. In 2023, TV fiction production dropped by 6%, accompanied by a 6% reduction in the number of episodes and a slight 3% decrease in the volume of hours produced compared to the previous year.
On average, over 1,200 titles, 23,000 episodes, and 14,000 hours (titles refer to TV films or TV series seasons; animation is not included) are produced annually in Europe.
Between 2015 and 2023, more than 2,000 production companies/groups produced at least one fiction title, but only 3% did so yearly during these nine years.
Despite the downturn, some fundamental characteristics of TV fiction production in Europe remained unchanged: telenovelas/soaps accounted for the bulk of hours produced (61%), and more than half (58%) of all titles produced were series with 13 episodes or fewer per season.
The End of the High-End Series Boom
The continuous growth of high-end series ended in 2023, with the number of titles decreasing by 2% compared to the previous year. Production hours for series with 13 episodes or fewer per season stagnated (a 1% drop), as seasons had fewer and shorter episodes (likely in response to rising production costs and inflation).
The United Kingdom, with 159 titles in 2023, was the leading producer of high-end series, followed by Germany (119), France (92), Italy (58), and Spain (58).
The top five series commissioners with 13 episodes or fewer per season were BBC, Netflix, Amazon, ZDF, and ARD.
Public Broadcasters Commissioned 55% of Titles and 39% of Hours
More than half of the fiction titles produced in Europe in 2023 were commissioned by public service broadcasters (55%), followed by private broadcasters (31%) and global streaming platforms (14%).
However, due to their larger share in daily soaps and telenovelas, private broadcasters produced more hours (57%) than public service broadcasters (39%). Global streaming platforms account for only 5% of hours of the time, as they do not invest in long-running TV series.
Co-productions accounted for 10% of all TV fiction titles in Europe in 2023. On average, more than 100 TV fiction co-productions are produced annually in Europe, almost exclusively high-end TV series and TV films.
