Advanced Television

Pact

Ofcom OKs BBC Three linear return

BBC Three is set to return to TV screens for the first time in six years, after UK media regulator Ofcom approved its relaunch as a broadcast television channel. The new broadcast channel will launch in early February 2022 and will be available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat with EPG numbers to be confirmed […]

November 25, 2021By Colin Mann

Studies: Pandemic hits UK production income

UK TV production industry trade body Pact has published two new reports which show the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK independent production sector. The findings of the annual Pact Census and a specially commissioned COVID Long-Term Impact Study raise particular concerns in the context of the Government’s proposal to privatise Channel 4, […]

September 8, 2021

640 UK films, TV shows in production in past year

More than 600 feature films and television productions have gone into production in the UK since the scheme was announced in July last year as the industry has moved into pandemic recovery thanks to the Government funded Film and TV Production Restart Scheme. The scheme was launched by the Government backed by £500 million to […]

July 28, 2021

UK moots C4 sale; plans SVoD regulation

As part of an ongoing strategic review of the UK public service broadcasting system, the UK government will review the ownership model and remit of Channel 4 and consider tightening regulation of SVoD services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) says that with a […]

June 23, 2021By Colin Mann

Report: Record-breaking year for UK TV exports

The latest UK TV Exports report from Pact, the trade association representing the commercial interests of UK independent television, film, digital, children’s and animation media companies, shows that 2019/20 was another record-breaking year for UK TV exports, generating £1.48 billion, a 6 per cent year-on-year increase. Scripted drama – such as Chernobyl, His Dark Materials, […]

November 24, 2020

Report: UK indie production revenues record high

The UK’s Independent TV production sector revenues reached a new record of £3.3 billion (€3.6bn) in 2019 – driven by international revenues breaking £1 billion for the first time – an increase of 11 per cent on 2018, and a rise of 30 per cent over the past five years. The Pact UK Production Census […]

October 2, 2020

Pact: “Streamers outbid broadcast for new content”

Streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are consistently outbidding British broadcasters for new shows amid a global shortage of content, forcing traditional broadcasters to find new ways to fill schedules in the coming months and years. Although TV audiences rose sharply during lockdown, the near-global production shutdown has created a looming shortage […]

August 24, 2020