In its newly released Pact Census 2025 report, the UK trade org details how revenue generated by the country’s TV industry—inlcuding all genres and both domestic and international business—was up by 1.4% last year to US$4.9 billion. 

Despite that increase, however, children’s programming revenue remained flat at 2%. And for comparison’s sake, dramas generated 42% and general entertainment (including comedies) 21%.

The data also notes that mid-sized kids prodcos—with revenue less than US$33 million (£25 million)—cornered the largest percentage (37%) of last year’s commissions. That’s pretty much the same result as in 2023 (35%).

It’s notable (but also unsurprising in an industry that typically runs on smaller budgets) that kids content is the only genre where companies making less than US$33 million are the ones getting the most commissions. For all other sectors, it’s typically the companies making more money.

As a whole, the UK market has regained stability after a post-2022 contraction, according to Pact. This is thanks in part to domestic and international digital commissioners picking up the slack from linear broadcasters. 

Public service broadcasters were responsible for 83.4% of all UK TV commissioning, which was flat compared to 2023. Most of this spend (71%) went to returning series, with only 29% for new commissions, which is down from 36% year over year. This puts a number behind the common industry refrain that there’s an uneven focus in the market on existing IPs versus new ideas.

These numbers also indicate that the industry is making minor gains—or at least holding steady. But that’s small comfort when trade union Bectu estimates that nearly half of all workers in Britain’s TV sector are unemployed. Bectu’s data from August depicts an industry that’s teetering on the edge, and Pact’s new findings don’t do much to change that stark picture. 

Image courtesy of Samantha Borges via Unsplash.