Global streamer scripted commissions drop by almost a quarter in H1 2025

The number of scripted TV originals commissioned by the top six global streaming platforms dropped by 24% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, according to research by Ampere Analysis.

Cyrine Amor

Apple, Amazon, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Paramount+ commissioned a combined 242 scripted shows in H1 2025, down from 318 in H1 2024.

Ampere said the drop reflects the streamers’ reassessment of original content strategies amid economic uncertainty and the impact of the Hollywood strikes on scripted production at the end of 2023.

It also follows growth in 2024, when the number of scripted commissions by the six streamers grew by 14% year-on-year in H1 and by 5% year-on-year in H2.

Ampere noted that while the overall industry, excluding the six SVoDs, saw an 8% drop year-on-year in scripted commissions in H1 2025, the top six streamers’ cuts were three times deeper, indicating a more pronounced pullback.

Netflix and Apple made the smallest cuts, with scripted commissions in the period down 6% and 4% respectively. Amazon’s Prime Video made the deepest cuts, more than halving its scripted commissions.

In APAC, Amazon’s pullback was especially sharp. Commissions in India slipped to just a couple of titles in H1 2025, driving a 52% regional decline in scripted output across the global streamers.

Western Europe also saw steep reductions, with volumes down 44%, particularly in the crime and thriller genre, a key component of the streamers’ productions in the region.

Scripted TV originals in North America held steady at 95 titles, matching H1 2024 levels, while Latin America defied the global trend with a 17% increase.

Ampere said improved visibility on the impact of the US tariffs and economic outlook could ease pressure and support a global uptick in the second half of the year.

Cyrine Amor, research manager at Ampere, said: “Several factors underpin the reduction in H1 scripted commissions. Primarily, the move reflects the streamers’ ongoing strategic shift in their business models post the era of ‘peak TV’. This is marked by reduced investments in originals, a more cautious approach to commissioning decisions and a heavier reliance on licensing in their content strategies.

“The uncertain economic climate and the prospect of taxation on international productions have further exacerbated these trends. Regional disparities support this picture. Ampere’s monthly data shows a brief recovery in April 2025, followed by a dip in May after new movie tariffs were announced. Greater clarity on tariffs and the broader economic outlook could drive a rebound in H2.”