New report highlights irreplaceable role of PSBs in UK production pipeline that supports wider TV ecosystem, and calls for urgent reform to secure their future
Oliver & Ohlbaum report finds PSBs account for 71% of UK original content investment and 85% of all original hours
PSBs commissioned more than 600 new-entrant independent production labels over the past decade. These producers generated £3.1bn over the last 5 years, with 70+ companies now turning over more than £10m a year
76% of indie companies commissioned in 2025 classified as small producers
EDINBURGH, WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST: Everyone TV - the organisation leading the evolution of free TV in the UK - today publishes a major new report from Oliver & Ohlbaum
Associates (O&O), asking what the future of Britain's production industry would look like without the backing of the public service broadcasters that currently underpin it.
O&O's research finds that PSBs remain the leading source of UK original production, accounting for 71% of UK original content investment in 20241 and 85% of all original hours in 2025 2. Nearly two thirds of PSB original hours are made outside of London, strengthening local economies across the Nations and Regions.
PSBs play a critical role in supporting the launch and growth of independent production businesses. Production labels launched between 2016 and 2025 that received their first or early commissions from PSBs have subsequently generated an estimated £3.1bn in revenue across the wider TV commissioning market over the last five years (2021 – 2025) 3. This demonstrates how PSB backing can create value well beyond the initial commission, with streamers, YouTube and commercial broadcasters also drawing on the skills, talent and content developed through PSB commissioning.
The report considers what a weaker or stronger PSB ecosystem could mean for producers and the wider UK TV ecosystem, and how the partnership between PSBs and producers can continue to create value and build towards a stronger future. Other findings include:
● PSBs help launch and grow independent producers, particularly smaller and newer businesses: More than 600 new indie labels have received commissions from PSBs over the past decade. Of the 235 independent production groups commissioned by PSBs in 2025, 76% were classified as small producers, with around £365m invested in small and micro-producers. Of the producers receiving their first or early PSB commissions between 2016 and 2025, 79 are now generating more than £10m in annual turnover 4.
● PSBs take creative risks and develop new ideas: 63% of external PSB drama commissions were new IP in 2025, with more than 1,100 hours and £350m of external new IP commissioned across genres 5, giving producers opportunities to develop untested ideas, formats and talent. PSBs also invest in skills and training across the sector, supporting apprenticeships, industry training funds and the development of the next generation of talent.
● PSB investment sustains production across the UK and helps attract international finance: 63% of PSB hours are made outside London 6, supporting production across the Nations and Regions. PSB greenlights can also help producers to attract co-commissioning and co-funding partners, unlocking additional international finance, while UK TV exports reached £2.02bn in 2024/25, up 10.9% year-on-year. PSB titles have sold into more than 200 territories worldwide.7
Commenting on the findings, Jonathan Thompson, CEO Everyone TV, said: “The UK TV sector’s global success is not an accident. It is built on a public service broadcasting system takes creative risks, backs new ideas and gives talent and production companies across the country the chance to grow into successful businesses with international reach.
“This report shows that PSBs do not just commission programmes; they enable the skills, talent, and formats that power the wider TV economy, travel around the world and reinforce the UK’s reputation as one of the most creative and competitive TV markets. As the way people watch TV continues to change, it is vital that we protect what holds that system up, while carefully planning free TV’s evolution for the future. That means keeping British content free, easy to find and widely available.”
Mark Oliver, Chairman, O&O added: “The PSBs act as anchor investors in the UK production ecosystem. As detailed in the report PSB commissions underpin production capacity across the UK, international expansion and exports, and the skills, talent and creative reputation that attract inward investors. But the stresses are showing: PSB revenues and commissioning budgets are under pressure at a time of higher production costs and constrained third-party finance. PSBs and producers alike are integral to the UK’s position as a globally competitive audiovisual hub. Alongside the steps they can take together to safeguard that success, policy action is needed to support the sustainability of the PSB system.”
O&O warns that if PSB commissioning declines further, the UK could face a spiral of decline with fewer new producers securing first commissions; regional production and training weakening; and more rights, revenues and creative value moving away from the UK’s television industry, potentially weakening its position in the global landscape.
However, the report argues that there is an opportunity to strengthen the PSB system for the future, calling for government, PSBs and the wider production sector to work together to ensure the UK remains a global centre for television. As the UK moves towards a streaming future, the report also highlights the importance of ensuring this evolution strengthens rather than weakens the foundations of the UK's public service broadcasting system.
The report was published ahead of this year's Edinburgh TV Festival, with its findings providing the editorial basis for a panel discussion on Wednesday 26th August - PSBs and the Production Pipeline: What’s at Stake? This panel will examine the unique and evolving role PSBs play in UK production, and what UK production could look like with a weaker - or stronger - PSB ecosystem.
‘PSBs and the Production Pipeline: What’s at Stake?’ report is available at this link.
