ScreenSkills predicts UK film, high-end TV production to hit $8.7bn by 2025

UK industry training body ScreenSkills has published research that predicts film and high-end TV production spending is likely to reach between £7.07bn (US$8.66bn) and £7.66bn by 2025, up from £5.64bn in 2021.

Seetha Kumar

The research said film and high-end TV in the UK is likely to grow at an annual average rate of 7.3% between 2022 and 2025.

The research, commissioned by ScreenSkills and supported by the British Film Institute, found that between 15,130 and 20,770 additional full-time crew will be needed to meet the continued growth, while between £95.1m and £104.3m of annual investment will be required to train new and existing workers by 2025.

The indirect and induced impact of training investment of around £104.3m would go a long way to creating a further 23,270 full-time jobs across the UK economy, the research found, on top of the additional 15,130-20,770 crew. Latest figures show film and high-end TV currently generatesthe equivalent of 122,000 full-time jobs.

Spending about £289.3m on training between 2023 and 2025 would enable film and high-end TV to generate an additional £4.56bn in gross value added, including direct, indirect and induced impact. This represents an economic return of more than 15 times the training investment.

Seetha Kumar, CEO of ScreenSkills, said: “The data in this report will help us all plan sensibly to ensure the UK has the skilled and inclusive workforce needed to capitalise on the potential for further growth.

“The film and television industry is one of the UK’s great success stories and we need to work together to keep it that way. Growing the workforce will help ensure the country fully benefits from the projected growth in production expenditure.”

Christine Healy, chief operating officer at Legendary Global-backed UK prodco Watford & Essex and chair of the ScreenSkills High-End TV Skills Council, added: “High-end TV is already deeply committed to investing in training and retention.

“As a sector, we work really closely with ScreenSkills through the council and our working groups to make sure we are addressing skills priorities, both at entry and mid-career level. It is valuable to have further intelligence on the likely scale of the challenges ahead so that we can keep ahead of the game.”

The research comes from a report titled The Forecast of Labour Market Shortages & Training Investment Needs in Film and High-End TV Production, which was carried out by consultancy Nordicity with accountancy firm Saffery Champness.