UK: the production market slowed down in 2025

The UK's BFI Research and Statistics Unit released the latest figures for film and high-end television (HETV) spend and production numbers in the UK, with figures covering both the first half of 2025 and the 12-month period from June ’24 to June ’25. From July 2024 to June 2025, a total of 579 films received final certification under the cultural test. These films had a UK production spend of £2.6 billion and a total production budget of £3.9 billion, while 300 HETV programmes received final certification under the cultural test. These had a UK production spend of £5.3 billion and a total production budget of £6.9 billion.

300 high-end television (HETV) programmes received final certification under the cultural test. These had a UK production spend of £5.3 billion and a total production budget of £6.9 billion. 66 films started shooting in January to June 2025 with a total UK production spend of £1.1 billion. The number of production starts is 6 fewer than was first reported for H1 2024 while production spend is down 1% on first reported H1 2024 figures. H1 2025 spend on inward investment productions was £999 million (91% of the total), domestic productions accounted for £62 million (6% of the total) and co-production spend was £35 million (3% of the total). Across the 12-month period up to June 2025, 196 films began principal photography with a total UK production spend of £2.1 billion. Production spend was up 18% on the 12-month period ended June 2024.

In that 12-month period, inward investment productions accounted for 86% (£1.8 billion) of UK production spend on film, domestic UK features accounted for 9% (£191 million), and co-productions accounted for 5% (£107 million). In HETV production, 82 productions began principal photography in the first half of 2025. These productions had a total UK spend of £2.1 billion, an increase from the £1.8 billion that was first reported for H1 2024 productions.

The spend on inward investment productions for this period was £1.8 billion (83% of the total), domestic productions accounted for £332 million (16% of the total) and co-productions accounted for £27 million (1% of the total). 159 HETV productions started principal photography in the 12-month period ended June 2025. This is 61 fewer production starts than in the previous 12-month period, but total HETV production spend was £3.7 billion, an 18% increase on the previous 12-month period.