Global Leadership Persists for Programmed Material in Media Industry
In the ever-evolving world of television, a shift in preferences has been observed in global TV-viewing trends, with unscripted content gaining significant traction in certain regions. This trend is particularly noticeable in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and North America.
Within EMEA, broadcasters play a central role in commissioning TV content. Although there has been a rise in English-language scripted productions, there is also a notable focus on unscripted content by global streamers like Disney and NBCUniversal, especially formats that are star-driven or mobile-friendly. This shift is indicative of a growing preference for unscripted content in the region.
In North America, particularly the US and Canada, there is a strategic shift where major players, including Fox Entertainment and A+E Factual Studios, are doubling down on unscripted production by relocating or expanding production hubs to Canada to take advantage of economic incentives. This reflects an ongoing emphasis on unscripted content in this region to address cost-efficiency and economic challenges.
Unsurprisingly, unscripted content dominates the global format adaptation market, accounting for 77% of all adaptations worldwide, compared to 23% for scripted formats. This indicates a strong global preference for unscripted formats such as reality TV, game shows, and competitions over scripted dramas and series.
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, however, leans more toward scripted content, with a focus on high-quality scripted dramas, driven by Korean-language productions and regional commissions.
In 2024, APAC accounted for almost half of all the unscripted titles released, indicating a high volume of unscripted content in the region. Despite this, the supply of unscripted content saw declines in 2023 and 2024, suggesting a slowdown in production.
The most popular unscripted programs globally were WWE "Monday Night Raw," "American Nightmare," and "Are You Sure?". Comedy follows closely behind, with 12% of respondents preferring it.
In contrast, the three most popular series in 2024 belonged to the action and science fiction genres: "Game of Thrones" and "The House of Dragon" (HBO/Max) and "The Boys" (Prime Video).
South Africa ranks highest in preference for unscripted content, while Sweden leads in preference for scripted content. The share of documentaries has gradually declined, dropping 13% since 2021.
This shift towards unscripted content in EMEA and North America, coupled with the dominance of unscripted formats in the global format adaptation market, suggests a growing preference for reality TV, game shows, and competitions over scripted dramas and series. This trend is likely to continue shaping the global TV landscape in the coming years.
- The shift towards unscripted content in EMEA and North America, as evident in the rise of star-driven and mobile-friendly formats by global streamers, signals a growing preference for reality TV, game shows, and competitions over scripted dramas and series.
- In North America, particularly the US and Canada, there's a strategic shift in the media industry where players like Fox Entertainment and A+E Factual Studios are focusing on unscripted production, leveraging economic incentives by relocating or expanding production hubs to Canada.
- Unscripted content dominates the global format adaptation market, with 77% of all adaptations worldwide being unscripted formats such as reality TV, game shows, and competitions, compared to 23% for scripted formats.
- In contrast to the global trend, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region leans more towards scripted content, with a focus on high-quality scripted dramas, driven by Korean-language productions and regional commissions.
