A report released by Screen Australia on Wednesday revealed significant shifts in the country’s television production landscape. Children’s programming broadcast time averaged 65 hours annually between 2021 and 2024, representing a 42% decrease compared to the 2000-2020 average. This contraction stems from changes in viewer preferences and a substantial reduction in commissioning by commercial broadcasters.
Commercial networks Seven, Nine, and Ten were previously mandated to air a minimum of 260 hours of children’s content yearly. Following the removal of these regulatory requirements, these broadcasters have largely ceased commissioning children’s programs. First-run children’s television in 2025 was predominantly sourced from the ABC, with limited contributions from SBS/NITV and Seven. Australian television drama has experienced a similar trajectory, declining 12.4% when comparing 2020-2024 averages to 2000-2019 figures.
Streaming platforms have emerged as the primary commissioners of Australian television drama, a position they held before new obligations took effect in 2025. These regulations require certain streaming services to allocate at least 10% of Australian program spending or 7.5% of Australian revenue toward new drama, children’s programming, and documentary content. Netflix, Stan, and Amazon Prime Video are now categorized as significant investors in Australian content, particularly drama productions, while commercial broadcasters have redirected spending toward news, current affairs, lifestyle, and sports programming.
Screen Australia’s survey of over 13,550 respondents indicated that while 84% of Australians value local content, only 36% find it easy to locate Australian-made programming. Netflix leads platform usage at 69% of respondents, followed by commercial networks at 63% and YouTube at 56%. The broader screen sector contributed more than $11 billion to the economy in 2023-24, directly employing nearly 70,000 people in 2024-25. Drama feature film production increased 43% when comparing 2021-2024 output to 2000-2020 levels, despite declining box office performance.
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