Streamers accounted for a quarter of European original content spend in 2022

Global streamers’ spending accounted for 24% of all spending on European original content last year, according to a study by the European Audiovisual Observatory. 

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory

The report found that global streamers’ spending increased by 70% versus 2021 to €4.9 billion, with Netflix accounting for about 45% of streamer spending on European original content, down from 58% in 2021, as other SVOD services, notably Amazon Prime, increased their investments.

According to the report, Audiovisual services spending in original European content – a 2012-2022 analysis, spending on original content has increased faster than European audiovisual sector revenues, while at the same time sports rights spending is increasing sharply.

Among broadcasters, who also increased their spending significantly, original content accounted for 35% of broadcaster spending, followed by sports rights and acquired programming, accounting for28% and 26%, respectively.

The study nevertheless found that sports rights are number one in terms of content spending for commercial broadcasters, and they grew significantly faster than any other category of programming.

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory

The share of scripted programming (excluding news) in streamers’ spending on original content has slightly decreased over time but still accounts for the lion’s share (83%).

The UK and Spain accounted together for 37% of global streamers’ spending on original European content. The share of global streamers in original content spending is particularly high in Spain (over 50%) and, to a lesser extent, in the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.

Germany and, to a lesser extent, the Netherlands and Poland, appear to be lagging behind with regard to their ability to capture global streamer investments.

The study found that public broadcasters invest particularly strongly in original content in Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the the Netherlands, while commercial broadcasters are key to original content in Poland, Italy and France, and streamers represent the bulk of spending in Spain.