Commercial TV networks spent $1.62 billion on Australian programs in the 2023–24 financial year, representing a decrease from $1.67 billion in the previous year, according to a new report from the ACMA.
Overall, the networks spent $1.84 billion on Australian and overseas programs, down from $1.91 billion in the previous financial year.
The report shows increases in spending across a range of genres including:
| Genre | 2023–24 expenditure | 2022–23 expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| Australian children’s drama | $1.75 million | $0 |
| Australian children’s other | $1.34 million | $743,820 |
| Australian light entertainment - variety | $5.17 million | $1.15 million |
| Australian light entertainment– other | $571.85 million | $556.56 million |
| Australian documentaries | $20.85 million | $14.79 million |
Australian news and current affairs and ‘Overseas other’ programs remained at similar expenditure levels to the 2022–23 financial year.
The report showed there were some program categories that saw a reduction in expenditure, including:
| Genre | 2023–24 expenditure | 2022–23 expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| Australian sport | $567,428,055 | $635,094,957 |
| Overseas drama | $190,769,567 | $211,107,090 |
The newly published data is part of the TV in Australia: Spending on commercial TV programs report which comprises commercial TV expenditure information by genre, provided on a voluntary basis on behalf of 68 metropolitan and regional commercial TV broadcasters.
This report is available in a digital format which provides program expenditure data for the past five financial years and contains interactive visualisations to offer greater insights into the data.
The TV in Australia: Spending on commercial programs is available on the ACMA website.