Advanced Television

Italy’s AV industry worth over €2bn

October 16, 2024

From Branislav Pekic in Rome

The Italian audiovisual sector has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years, doubling in value and employment since 2017.

According to a report by the Association of Audiovisual Producers (APA), the industry was worth over €2 billion in 2023, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. This growth is driven by significant increases in cinema, TV and VoD productions.

Distribution media revenues have also flourished, reaching €11.6 billion in 2023. The television sector contributed €8.2 billion, while VoD services accounted for €2.8 billion, demonstrating consistent growth and representing 24 per cent of the market.

Chiara Sbarigia, President of APA, emphasised the sector’s shift towards a focus on quality and international reach. Despite economic challenges, increased investment from broadcasters and platforms has boosted revenues from distribution media.

While government tax credits have been essential, the report suggests that Italy could further incentivise production by aligning its policies with other European countries. The analysis indicates that Italy supports fewer titles and offers lower grants per project compared to nations like France, Spain, the UK and Germany.

In terms of content, entertainment programming on networks is on the rise, particularly on public broadcaster Rai. Scripted content is increasing across both TV and VoD platforms, and kids’ content has experienced significant growth (+70 per cent). Documentaries, however, have seen a decline.

In the Kids TV segment, Warner Bros Discovery has emerged as the broadcaster with the most diverse offerings, accounting for 42 per cent of titles on Kids channels. Rai, however, remains the leading broadcaster of original productions.

TV series continue to be the dominant format in Italian production, followed by Teen and Crime genres. Emerging genres such as Period, Biopic and Romance are attracting growing interest from both producers and audiences. Netflix and Paramount+ have witnessed significant growth in terms of titles and content hours produced, solidifying their position as leading SVoD platforms in the Italian market.

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