The period from January to December 2024 saw a consistent reduction in the number of commissioned titles compared to previous years. According to Ampere Analysis, the volume of commissions announced globally in 2024 overall decreased by 5% compared with the previous year. December marked the lowest point, with just 973 new titles announced globally, down from 1109 in December 2023. This drop reflects a more cautious approach by commissioners, which is also reflected in the type of content they are investing in. While 2022 and 2023 saw a decline in development titles or pilots, as commissioners felt inclined to take risks with new seasons, 2024 saw networks and production companies adopting more conservative strategies, increasingly favoring development titles over full-season commitments. As a result, the proportion of development titles announced in 2024 returned to the same level as in 2021, at 5% of all titles.
Despite the overall downturn, certain commissioners and platforms exhibited different patterns. For instance, while streaming commissions globally declined by 10% in 2024, global giants Netflix and Amazon continued to show increased activity. Netflix’s announced commissions increased by 25%, with the volume of comedy and documentary titles growing by 49% and 42%, respectively. 2024 also saw Amazon announce the highest volume of original commissions ever, with reality titles, in particular, growing by 45%. Amazon also continued its investment in international production, increasing its volume of non-USA announced titles by 10% between 2023 and 2024.
Another notable trend from commissioning in 2024 was the shift away from children & family content, particularly in more saturated markets such as North America and Western Europe. This reflects how data increasingly informs spending, with insights into audience preferences and behaviors driving key content decisions. Ampere’s consumer survey, for example, showed that in Q3 2024, just 15% of consumers subscribed to a service because it had content their children liked to watch. In line with this trend, between 2023 and 2024, streamers reduced Children & Family commissions in North America and Western Europe by 48%.
Conversely, Ampere’s consumer data identified sports as the most common motivating factor for subscribers (41%). The latter half of 2024 showed how platforms such as Netflix are now focusing on expanding their presence in the sports domain to meet this growing demand. In addition to the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson boxing match in November 2024, Netflix broadcasted NFL games over Christmas and has secured the rights to stream the 2025 Royal Rumble, a major WWE event scheduled for February 1, 2025. These trends reflect a broader phase of cautious recalibration in the television industry as commissioners seek the optimal content investment strategy amid declining linear audiences, OTT consumer saturation in Western markets, and broader economic uncertainties.