Hollywood Unions Cite 25-Year Drop in U.S. Film and TV Production Share

A report prepared by EY and issued by a coalition of Hollywood unions—including IATSE, the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA—found that U.S. studios’ share of film production budgets has dropped from 74% to 42% and TV production share from 94% to 64% over the past 25 years. While total spending by major studios rose from $3 billion to $7 billion for films and from $933 million to $8.4 billion for TV, a growing portion now occurs overseas, particularly on the most expensive movies, where U.S. share fell to 34%.

The study, which focuses on projects with budgets of $5 million or more, does not explain the reasons for the shift but highlights the scale of the change. Lawmakers are considering a 20-30% federal production incentive to compete with generous subsidies in Canada, the U.K. and elsewhere, and unions are mobilizing support, including a rally with Sen. Adam Schiff in Glendale. The Motion Picture Association also warned that without action, domestic market share could continue to decline.