Pubcasters leading investors in European content
May 4, 2017
A research report by the EBU’s Media Intelligence Service (MIS) that PSM (public service media) have actually increased their investment in content by 6.8 per cent over the last five years (2011-2015), despite a minimal 1.4 per cent increase in their revenues. PSM offers good value for money with investment in content representing 54 per cent of total PSM operating expenditure. At the same time, the top ten European commercial broadcasters devote only 32.5 per cent of their cumulated operating revenues to content creation.
Over 83 per cent of PSM programming expenditure is devoted to original productions (in-house, commissioned or co-productions), meaning they spent over €15 billion directly on content creation in 2015. PSM TV organisations spend on average 31 per cent of their programming budget on commissioned productions, making them key partners for the European independent production sector.
Head of MIS Roberto Suarez said: “PSM expenditure represents a huge, sustained investment in the European audiovisual industry. But the benefits are not only economical. Quality content is also vital in ensuring European citizens are well-informed about the world around them. “It is essential that citizens can enjoy a wealth of locally produced content to reinforce national identities, promote democracy, enrich culture and foster shared values.”