North American scripted TV commissions creeping up again – Ampere Analysis

North American scripted TV commissions grew for the second year in a row in 2025, according to research from UK-based Ampere Analysis.

Ampere’s research found that total commissions in North America rose by 3% year-on-year, although this was lower than the 8% growth recorded in 2024. First-run scripted commissions grew faster, by 7% in 2025.

Ampere noted that while commissioning levels remain below the peak of the ‘peak TV’ era, 2025 volumes recovered to 76% of 2021 levels, marking the highest annual output since the sharp scripted production cuts of late 2022.

Conversely, North America’s recovery contrasts sharply with international markets, where scripted commissioning volumes fell 9% year-on-year. Ampere noted that budget pressures on public service broadcasters and a shift towards unscripted programming are weighing particularly heavily on Western Europe.

Growth in North American scripted output was fuelled by a rebound in orders across SVoD, pay TV and commercial free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters. The latter category particularly stood out, with scripted orders up 22% year-on-year.

A similar trend occurred in Western Europe, where FTA broadcasters outperformed other commercial players, contracting less than competitors and overtaking SVoD platforms in scripted volume for the first time.

The bounce back in North American commissioning was accompanied by a greater reliance on pre-existing IP, according to Ampere, with adaptations and franchises accounting for 44% of scripted commissions in 2025, up from 41% in 2024.

Commercial FTA broadcasters led this shift, with 57% of their scripted orders based on a pre-existing content brand, the highest share in five years.

Cyrine Amor, research manager at Ampere Analysis, said: “Commercial players are fighting back after several challenging years. With continued pressure on content budgets, IP is becoming increasingly central to commissioners’ greenlighting process.

“Shaping content around pre-existing IP helps mitigate some of the risks associated with launching new scripted productions. It also reflects a broader shift in how content is discovered as audiences move towards on-demand viewing. Basing scripted shows on established franchises or literary brands is now a key strategic priority, highlighting how critical IP ownership and content have become for producers.”