Australia’s drama production soars to new heights reaching A$2.7 Billion in 2024/25

Australia’s screen industry registered a landmark year as Screen Australia revealed that total expenditure on drama production reached A$2.7 billion in 2024/25 — a 43% increase over the previous year — underscoring a strong rebound fueled by high‑budget feature films, subscription video‑on‑demand (SVOD) series and a surge in international productions.

Of the 174 titles that entered production in 2024/25, 71 were Australian, with local stories receiving A$1.1 billion in funding — up 14% from 2023/24. While this rise in spend on domestic content is encouraging, the number of locally produced titles declined from 89 to 71, indicating fewer but larger‑scale projects.

The report highlights a dramatic 76% jump in expenditure on Australian theatrical features, climbing to A$379 million, driven by a handful of high‑budget films exceeding A$50 million. At the same time, the majority of theatrical features continued to be made within the A$1–5 million budget range.

SVOD and subscription TV drama also showed resilience, with A$492 million invested across 18 titles — a modest 5% increase from the prior year’s A$471 million, despite a decrease in the number of titles and overall hours produced. General TV / VOD drama titles (excluding SVOD-specific series) accounted for A$654 million in expenditure on 32 productions, though the report notes a slight drop in volume compared to the previous period.

International productions contributed significantly to overall growth. The report states that overseas‑originating TV, feature, and VOD projects bringing work to Australia delivered a record level of investment, indicating that global demand remains a key pillar supporting the local screen ecosystem.

Screen Australia’s CEO Deirdre Brennan remarked that the “strong result is a testament to the hard work and creativity of our screen practitioners, who are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.” She stressed that while the increase in expenditure is encouraging, the shift in commissioning behaviour — fewer titles but higher budgets — presents both challenges and opportunities, calling for innovation and collaboration to sustain momentum.

Industry observers point out that this surge in spending and international engagement is not merely about bigger budgets: it reflects Australia’s growing attractiveness as a production destination, supported by favourable incentives, skilled crews, and robust infrastructure. Such international activity helps sustain the broader ecosystem by funding training, enabling investments in screen businesses, and keeping talent engaged.

In a market facing global economic uncertainty and evolving audience behaviors, the 2024/25 Drama Report signals that the Australian screen sector is resilient, adaptive, and capable of leveraging both local storytelling and global demand to drive growth.