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Deloitte report: ABC commissioned productions deliver $772m to the Australian economy

21 May 2026

ABC commissioned content continues to reach Australians at scale, deliver strong audience value and drive critical economic activity across the country’s screen sector, a new Deloitte Access Economics report finds.

Brisbane, Australia, November 30, 2025 ABC logo illuminated on building at night. Credit: Max Stoliar / Shutterstock.com

This press release was originally published by ABC.

A new Deloitte Access Economics report has found that between July 2022 and June 2025, ABC commissioned screen productions generated an additional $772 million in value for the Australian economy, supporting more than 7,700 full‑time equivalent jobs and driving critical economic activity across Australia’s screen sector.

The Lights, Camera, Action: The Economic and Social Contribution of ABC commissioned Screen Productions report quantifies the economic contribution of ABC-commissioned screen productions over the past three financial years, while also assessing the broader value to audiences, the screen industry, and the Australian community.

It shows that ABC screen investment is an economic driver, providing critical support and stability to creative industry organisations across the country and highlights the central role the ABC plays in sustaining Australia’s screen sector as global competition intensifies, and the private investment landscape continues to change.

Between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2025, the ABC supported 315 screen productions, delivering more than 1,526 hours of Australian content across drama, comedy, entertainment, factual and children’s genres, generating economic benefits in every Australian state and territory. The report found ABC commissioning plays a vital role in safeguarding Australian storytelling, particularly in genres such as drama, children’s and educational content, where commercial incentives are under increasing pressure.

ABC commissions catalyse further industry investment. For every $1 the ABC invested in external co-productions, an additional $1.31 was leveraged from other public and private sources, including state agencies, international partners and private investors. By anchoring projects early, ABC investment supports a pipeline of future productions, enabling ideas to progress into viable projects, unlocking multi‑source financing that strengthens the broader market.

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ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said the report highlights the significant creative, industry and economic impact of sustained investment in the ABC, which is vital to the future of Australia’s screen sector.

“The Deloitte Access Economics report makes it clear that the ABC’s investment in Australian screen content is essential to the strength and continued sustainability of the local screen industry,” he said. “The ABC plays a more important role in Australia’s screen ecosystem than it ever has. We are increasingly at the centre of economic resilience of the sector and delivering critical support to creative industry businesses and talent in every part of the country.”

In addition to economic metrics, the report considers the cultural and social benefits of ABC productions, including their unique role in supporting children’s wellbeing.

As one of the few Australian commissioners of local children’s content, the ABC delivered 86 hours of children’s programming in 2024–25, reaching an average of 3.2 million weekly viewers and supporting learning, wellbeing and a sense of identity for young audiences at a time when investment elsewhere in the sector is declining.

The ABC’s role in Australian cultural life remains distinctive and trusted, according to the report. Around 79 per cent of Australians identify the ABC as distinctly Australian, recognising its role in reflecting the nation’s stories, communities and values, and providing free, universal access to trusted content.

“ The ABC plays a more important role in Australia’s screen ecosystem than it ever has. We are increasingly at the centre of economic resilience of the sector and delivering critical support to creative industry businesses and talent in every part of the country.” – Hugh Marks, Managing Director, ABC

ABC commissioned content continues to reach Australians at scale and deliver strong audience value. In 2024–25, around 5.4 million Australians watched ABC commissioned broadcast productions on television each week, generating nearly 7.8 million viewing hours.

In 2026, the ABC across both broadcast and ABC iview, reaches 12.5 million people each week, up 1.5% year-on-year, with growth across all adult age groups.

Deloitte Access Economics report key findings

ABC-commissioned screen productions contributed $772 million in value added to the Australian economy over the past three financial years
ABC-commissioned screen productions in Australia supported over 7,700 FTE roles cumulatively over the past three financial years
The ABC supported 315 productions delivering over 1,526 hours of local programming over the past three financial years
For every dollar spent by the ABC on external commissions, a further $1.31 was leveraged from other sources
For every ABC employee working on screen productions, three additional jobs were supported
The audience value of ABC-commissioned content that was broadcast is estimated at $2.4 billion in 2024-25
ABC commissioned content on broadcast television has a reach of 5.4 million viewers in 2024-25
79% of Australians see the ABC as distinctly Australian and contributing to a sense of national identity
86 hours of high-quality children’s content was produced in 2024-25, supporting children’s cognitive, language, and social emotional development.