Film and high-end TV production spending in the UK stood at £5.6bn in 2024 according to official figures from the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit.
The figure represents a 31% increase over 2023, a year that was heavily affected by the writer and actor strikes.
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The lion’s share of the total £5.6bn production spend in 2024 was contributed by 181 high-end TV (HETV) shows with £3.4bn, or 62% of the total spend; 191 feature film production contributed £2.1bn, or 38% of the total spend.
Inward investment and co-production films and HETV shows delivered £4.8bn, or 86% of the combined production spend, highlighting the UK’s reputation as a leading global hub for film and TV production.
The figures also highlighted some of the challenges facing producers in the UK. While inward investment spend is strong, local productions remain challenged. Spending on domestic UK HETV shows dropped 22% to £598m. Co-production spend was £19.6m, a 50% decrease on 2023.
Inward investment HETV productions in 2024 included The Immortal Man: A Peaky Blinders Film, The Donovans, Young Sherlock, Man vs Baby, and Art Detectives.
Inward investment films included Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, starring Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian and Daniel Ezra; Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Alicia Silverstone; and Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, starring Jack O’Connell and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
The 2024 cinema box office stood at £979m, broadly in line with 2023 but 22% behind pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Wicked was the highest grossing release in the UK in 2024 with £59.6m, accounting for 6% of the UK’s total annual box office.
Back to Black (£12.3m) was the top grossing UK independent film. The market share for UK independent films stood at 6.9% in 2024.
Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive, said: "The UK’s film and TV industries continue to be a powerhouse for creativity, investment and jobs. After a disrupted 2023, including the impact of US strikes, production spend rebounded to £5.6bn in 2024 – up 31% on the previous year – demonstrating the UK’s strength as a world-leading destination for filmmaking. Wicked, made here in the UK, led the box office, following Barbie’s success in 2023, while independent films like Back to Black and One Life helped grow market share.
"At the same time, we know these figures don’t tell the whole story. The 22% drop in domestic HETV spend is a reminder that many in the industry are feeling the pressure, and what happens next will be critical. Continued investment in skills and infrastructure, alongside strong government support, is essential to ensuring the UK remains a magnet for international productions while strengthening our independent sector for the future.”
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