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March 22, 2024
European Series Production: Four Key Trends
With trends that suggest poor performances for series production, Europe faces the challenge to strengthen the region’s content. By Ching Wai.
Europe - Amidst the increasing premieres and distributions of European series across the world, it remains important to note trends that potentially affect their productions. Four key trends in series production in Europe were the main discussion at a panel moderated by the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) at Series Mania on Tuesday, 19 March.
The session was moderated by EAO’s head of department for market information Gilles Fontaine and executive director of European Audiovisual Observatory Susanne Nikoltchev. The trends include a downward trend in the number of seasons produced, the contrast in support given by broadcasters and streamers, the still diverse production market, and the low number of television series co-productions between countries that share the same language.
According to figures from FX Content Research, the number of seasons produced in the U.S. have decreased to 516 last year. This trend can also be observed in parts of Europe like Poland, Germany and the Nordic countries. Yet, production levels are increasing in other countries that have implemented the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which obliges investment by the streamers in local production. The drop in seasons may not be that significant either, as the head of unit for the audiovisual industry and media support programme Lucia Recalde reasoned, “[w]e see that the streamers are more cautious when it comes to investment decisions because the main criterion is not subscription base, it is profitability.”
The latter trends include broadcasters giving more support to local content, while streamers concentrated on producers from fewer countries, notably Spain, the U.K., France, Italy, Sweden and Poland. The next step forward is then to see the value in the global reach of streamers and promote European shows; to pick out stories that resonate with local and global viewers. News of growing consolidation of the production market is countered with research of a still diverse market. Additionally, while co-productions are generally increasing, those between countries that share the same language are dipping in numbers. There seems to be a need to incentivise filmmakers and producers in specific areas of the industry should the European market want to reap desired results.
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