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UK Screen Industry grows 5.6% to £12.5bn in 2023

Top titles spotlight evolving behaviours across transactional and streaming

  • The total value of the UK Screen Industry rose to £12.5 bn in 2023, including SVoD, Premium AVoD, TVoD, Physical, Cinema and Pay TV, a 5.6% YoY growth[1], in a year when the UK Box Office topped £1 billion[2] for the first time since the pandemic
  • Consumer spend across the UK Home Entertainment Category rose to £4.9bn[3] in 2023, inclusive of all SVoD, DIGITAL and DISC sales, and rental (EST, VOD, DVD, BLU-RAY, 4K UHD, BOXSET), up 8% Year on Year (YoY)[4]
  • This rise was driven by the ongoing uptake in subscription services, where 19.3 million UK Homes (67.3%) accessed a Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) service in Q3 2023, an increase of half a million on the previous quarter[5], with an average of 2.9[6] services per household in the UK
  • The introduction of advertising-supported tiers across all SVoD services is anticipated to add £200m[7] to the consumer value of the UK Home Entertainment Market in 2024 while UK premium video revenue (incl. hybrid SVOD advertising, Premium AVoD and FAST) will be £1.6 bn, up 20% YoY[8]
  • Global media and entertainment spend will rise by 6.4% to one trillion dollars[9] in 2024, powered by the online video contribution of $367 billion, as well as a theatrical contribution of $41 billion, alongside games, music, and linear TV
  • BAFTA™ and OSCAR™ nominated BARBIE[10] was the most popular film with consumers in the UK in 2023, according to Official Charts Company data, with more than 770k transactions across digital and disc, inclusive of EST, VoD, Blu-ray and DVD; selling 402k[11] units across disc and digital, and 368k rental transactions, helping Warner Bros. Discovery secure the title of leading transactional Distributor for value across physical (30.6% market share) and digital (19.4% market share) for the second year running
  • The ongoing popularity of Keanu Reeves in Lionsgate’s JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4[12] helped secure him the second-place spot with 388k[13] units sold across disc and digital, and the second biggest number of rental transactions of the year with 307k[14]
  • Universal Pictures critically acclaimed and OSCAR™ nominated OPPENHEIMER[15] was the biggest release on Blu-ray in the UK in 2023, with a value of £1.1m[16] on Blu-ray alone
  • Disney’s AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER[17] was the highest performing EST and DISC title, with digital and physical ownership transactions at 560k[18] units across the year, following a £52m[19] performance at the UK Box Office before it’s transactional and Disney+ premier in June 2023
  • Universal Pictures SUPER MARIO. BROS MOVIE[20] was the third biggest release of the year, and the biggest children’s title with 648k[21] transactions including EST, VoD, Blu-ray and DVD
  • Roald Dahl’s MATILDA THE MUSICAL[22] was the fifth biggest selling title of the year, with overall transactions of 483k[23] in 2023, leading the field in a strong period for musical entertainment
  • Disc buyers worshiped Dwayne Johnson’s Superhero BLACK ADAM[24] making it the number one title on DVD, with 80k units sold in 2023, according to Official Charts, following its October 2022 theatrical release
  • TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR[25] saw a week one value of £428k[26] on Premium Video on Demand (PVoD) following its release on December 13th, building on the £12.2m[27] Box Office performance across 6 weeks in Autumn 2023, the biggest event cinema release ever in the UK[28]
  • GAME OF THRONES: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON[29] Season One ruled the TV DISC charts for the second year running, with 63.5k[30] sales, followed closely by a top five dominated by titles that premiered on SVoD channels, as audiences continue to invest in ownership of their favourite shows
  • The total number of transactions on Visual Home Entertainment (Disc, EST and VoD) in the UK hit 66 million[31] in 2023, where the final week of 2023 saw EST sales transactions of 906k[32] up 44% YoY, in spite of the growth in SVoD services per household YoY to 2.9[33] services in the UK
  • Electronic Sell Through (EST) is the biggest transactional format with a value of £172m[34], where the biggest title was Disney’s AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
  • Physical (disc) delivered £170m[35] to the sector in 2023 (DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD, Boxset) driven by the biggest Blu-ray title OPPENHEIMER

London, 29th January 2024: Figures released today by the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), Omdia, Kantar, Futuresource Consulting, and Official Charts Company confirm that the total value of the UK Screen Industry rose to £12.5 bn in 2023, including SVoD, Premium AVoD, TVoD, Physical, Cinema and Pay TV, a 5.6% YoY growth[36], in a year when the UK Box Office topped £1 billion[37] for the first time since the pandemic (BASE works alongside Digital Entertainment Group International (DEGI), the international digital trade body.

The UK Home Entertainment Category rose to £4.9bn[38] in 2023 inclusive of all Streaming Video on Demand (SVoD), DIGITAL, DISC sales, and rental (Electronic Sell Through (EST), Video on Demand (VOD), DVD, BLU-RAY, 4K UHD, BOXSET), up 10.8% Year on Year (YoY), following a 14.3% rise YoY in 2022. Official Charts Company measures individual content purchases on disc and digital, to rent, buy or own in the UK, unlike multi-content SVoD services.

BARBIE was the UK’s biggest visual entertainment title across Theatrical and Home Entertainment, with a performance of £95.6m[39] at the UK Box Office, as well as a value of over £9.9m[40] across transactional Home Entertainment in 2023, through Premium EST (PEST) and Premium VOD (PVoD) releases in September 2023, and physical release in October 2023. This amounted to a collective consumer spend of just over £200 per minute on Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE across the year, across all visual formats, demonstrating the resonance of content across multiple channels as release windows continue to evolve. BARBIE helped Warner Bros. Discovery secure the leading transactional Distributor for the second year running, across both physical (30.6% value market share) and digital (19.4% value market share).

Robert Marsh, BASE Chair and Vice President, International Account Management/Sales, & UK Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said: “Visual entertainment began and remains a content first industry: from Premium Transactional windows, through digital and disc releases and on to Pay TV and SVOD, our industry exists to create films and TV shows that audiences connect with, and which they return to again and again. With the growth of AVOD and FAST complimenting SVOD and Transactional, audiences are now able to access our content in more diverse ways than ever before with multi-channel access to entertainment being more and more the norm for many consumers, and particularly fans. Looking at the top transactional titles, the success of BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, and the breadth of the top five transactional titles in 2023, including Sony Pictures MATILDA, helped deliver 68m[41] total transactions across the year with the final week delivering almost 2.5 million digital transactions, with over 900k EST transactions at a value at £5.9m[42]. Our new releases should rightly be celebrated, but it is the almost unlimited breadth of the transactional market through our catalogues that truly anchors the appeal of our market in the UK, representing three quarters of all disc transactions, and well over half of EST transactions. Visual entertainment is perhaps now more than ever one industry and I am proud to say that, after 100 years of Columbia Pictures, we stand alongside the many other publishers and providers in this community delivering audiences new films and shows to love while helping them discover and be inspired by ones they might have missed along the way.’

The rise in the value of UK Home Entertainment was driven by the ongoing surge in consumer uptake of subscription services, where 19.3 million UK Homes (67.3%)[43] had access to an SVoD service in Q3 2023, an increase of half a million on the previous quarter[44], and with over 56[45] million subscriptions in 2023, a 5.4% YoY rise. Netflix added 23 million subscribers to its ad-tier in the 12 territories in which the ad-supported service has launched, demonstrating uptake of 30% of the total users. Netflix also added an additional 13.1 million subscribers globally in Q4 2023, a record for Q4, resulting in 260.28 million total members globally[46].

Further introduction of ad-funded integration into the UK SVoD market came this month, with Amazon’s introduction of advertising across its online video service. In 2023, 51% of those surveyed in the UK confirmed that they will be happy to see adverts across their SVoD services, if it reduced the cost of their SVoD service overall.[47] At the same time, 50%[48] of audiences admitted that they ‘churn’ their SVoD services in some way, although 58%[49] reported churning then returning for new content.

More recent SVoD launches in the UK continued to flourish, with Paramount+ continuing to add subscribers in Q3 2023, buoyed by the inclusion of 2022s top transactional title TOP GUN: MAVERICK, as well as YELLOWSTONE. The highest viewed UK SVoD titles across the year are not currently available across all channels, but it is notable that the top live viewership titles of the year in the UK continue to be on linear TV.

There were 585 unique Free Ad Supported Television (FAST) channels in the UK in Q3 2023, a rise of 79 channels since Q1 2023. FAST global value is predicted to reach 13 billion dollars in 2028[50], one billion of which will be from western Europe. 100% of UK FAST users report also using another free AVoD service, which falls just slightly to 97% when social video services are removed[51]. FAST channels continue to provide an opportunity to broadcasters looking to revitalise their catalogue and demonstrate the new reality of the ‘total lifetime’ value perception of TV shows which go on to become fan favourites.

The global visual entertainment market (not inclusive of music and gaming) is now forecast to be worth $753bn, 75%[52] of a global entertainment market, which is estimated to rise to one trillion dollars[53] in 2024. Online video is the biggest part of this anticipated trillion-dollar pie, with $369bn, followed by games at $255bn, Music at $44bn, cinema at $41bn and Traditional (linear) TV at $34bn.

Gower Street Analytics estimates 2023 Global Box Office hit $33.9 billion to the year end. This represents a +30.5% gain YoY, continuing global Box Office recovery. However, it remains -15% behind the average of the last three pre-pandemic years (2017, 2018, 2019). Gower Street also recently estimated that, due in part to a strike-impacted release calendar, 2024 is projected to drop slightly to $31.5 billion, a -7% drop from 2023.

BARBIE delivered an impressive final week of VOD numbers to topple JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 from the top spot and steal the 2023 Official VOD chart number one position, with 368k[54] sales on VoD, to add to its 402k[55] sales across Disc and EST. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 delivered 307k Units on VOD to add to its 388k disc and EST sales. The JOHN WICK lifetime franchise transactional sales (excluding VoD) are now 2.5m units in the UK, with a Home Entertainment value of £21m[56] (excluding VoD).

Marie-Claire Benson, EVP/ Head of Motion Picture Group, Lionsgate UK, said: ““The incredible success of John Wick: Chapter Four across all formats in 2023 was no surprise, as the John Wick franchise consistently over-delivers on narrative, action, and style for fans around the world. This resulted in 695k volume sales so far of the 4th release in a franchise that is 10 years old this year. As with the upcoming release of The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which has just taken £18m at the UK Box office, investment in quality IP with heroic characters, and original narratives that resonate with audiences, is a key part of our purpose to surprise and delight UK audiences.”

 Disney’s AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER was the highest performing EST and DISC title according to Official Charts data, with digital and physical ownership transactions at 559k[57] units across the year, following a 77m[58] performance at the UK Box Office before it’s transactional and Disney+ premier in June 2023.

Universal’s critically acclaimed OPPENHEIMER was the biggest title across both disc formats combined in the UK in 2023, with a value of £1.1m[59] on Blu-ray and £673k[60] on DVD.

Electronic Sell Through (EST), remains the biggest transactional format, with a rise of 22% YoY in volume (as it now includes PEST from Wk20 onwards for the majority of titles released on this format), and a value of £172m. The value of Video on Demand (VoD), thought of as ‘rental’ by consumers, was £114m[61].

54 titles were released on Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) and/or Premium EST, one more than 2022, as audiences grow accustomed to the new shape of release windows. TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR scored the second biggest PVoD week one sales of 2023 (following BARBIE) with £428k[62] on Premium Video on Demand (PVoD) only, following its release on December 13th, building on the £12.2m[63] Box Office performance across six weeks in 2023.

Universal Pictures SUPER MARIO BROS. was the biggest kids title on Home Entertainment in the UK in 2023, with 648k transactional sales across Home Entertainment, and was the third biggest selling title of the year. The success of the SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE alongside BARBIE, and most recently WONKA[64], that has amassed £56m[65] at the UK Box Office to date, further demonstrates the audience love of known characters and IP when presented in new and exciting ways.

Roald Dahl’s MATILDA THE MUSICAL was the fifth highest selling title of 2023, following its successful cinema release over Christmas 2022, with overall transactions of 483k[66] in 2023, leading the field in a strong period for musical entertainment, which includes 2023’s WONKA, TAYLOR SWIFT ERAS, BEYONCE REFORMATION, the filmic AI visual experience ABBA VOYAGE, and 2024’s MEAN GIRLS THE MOVIE.

BLACK ADAM[67] surprised some to claim the biggest title of the year on DVD, demonstrating the resonance and value of big family titles on the most affordable new release physical format, with 80k[68] units sold.

Kevin Dersley, Managing Director, Elevation Sales, and co Vice-Chair, BASE said: “2023 saw a widespread conversation around ownership that resulted in some positive results for the disc industry; we were buoyed by the opening of so many new HMV stores on the Highstreet, and their welcome return to 363 Oxford Street, and with a continued presence and investment from leading grocers for the biggest selling titles. We believe we witnessed the re-emergence of a ‘gifting’ season in Q4, reinforced by our friends in Vinyl. Savvy consumers have long understood the value of a disc, and fans invest in the very best quality versions of the films and shows they love on Blu-Ray and UHD, but there is a building noise around broader physical ownership. Whether that is comment from Christopher Nolan or Guillermo del Toro extolling the virtue of disc ownership, or high-street shoppers browsing the aisles of HMV, it gives us real hope for the importance of the physical market in 2024.”

GAME OF THRONES: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season One ruled the TV charts for the second year running, snatching the number one spot despite its release at the end of 2022, and prior to the release of season two on SKY ATLANTIC/NOW in the UK in summer 2024.  The strong appetite for audiences for ownership of SVoD premier shows is clear, as the rest of the top five TV titles include THE LAST OF US[69] Season One at number 2, STAR TREK – STRANGE NEW WORLDS[70] Season One at number 3, and THE WALKING DEAD, COMPLETE 11th Season at Number 5[71], with DOCTOR WHO – 60th ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS[72] at number four.

Lesley Johnson, Co-Vice Chair, BASE, and Global Director, Home Entertainment, BBC Studios, said: “2023 has demonstrated that the TV sector remains robust in a tough economic climate with 8.3 million transactions, and a 22% share of the EST and Physical Market[73]. Fans and collectors continue to be thrilled by special edition boxsets and are willing to invest in owning their shows on disc. It’s also been a year in which consumers have begun to realise that shows do not stay on streaming formats forever, and that if it’s something they love then purchasing a boxset means they truly have instant access. At BBC Studios we are constantly delighted by the longevity of our classic catalogue which engages audiences, with particular note for Only Fools and Horses, Pride and Prejudice, and Dad’s Army. However, the nation’s favourite Time Lord, Doctor Who, must take the crown in his 15th regeneration, with Ncuti Gatwa attracting fans new and old.”

Liz Bales, Chief Executive, BASE and DEGI said: “These figures demonstrate what we at BASE already know about audience behaviours and the consequent market trends across all Home Entertainment channels, inclusive of transactional, Streaming, PayTV and FAST: a holistic view of consumer entertainment consumption is now imperative. Audiences view their entertainment from a content-first perspective, not in industry acronyms, and we must do the same as, while FAST and AVoD may be new industry innovations, consumers have always known advertising to exist around their Home Entertainment. The future growth of entertainment lies in both consumer spend and the advertising revenue that accompanies both the powerhouse that remains Pay TV and the emerging contribution from AVoD. 2024 will deliver both success and challenge, but an industry that continues to work together is one that will continue to thrive.”

The British Association for Screen Entertainment has represented the UK Visual Home Entertainment category for over 40 years. The primary objective of BASE is to champion the growth of screen entertainment across disc and digital, while maintaining a business environment with the fewest regulatory burdens. Our members are represented within the £4.9 billion Home Entertainment market alongside Affiliate and Associate members from a host of critical industry stakeholders.

 

Official Video Charts 2023

(Top five charts for each video format and genre, not including boxsets)

 

 Official All-Video Chart

1          BARBIE

2          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

3          THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

4          AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

5          ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official All-Video Sales Chart

1          AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

2          THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

3          BARBIE

4          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

5          INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official All-Video Physical Sales Chart 2023

1          OPPENHEIMER

2          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

3          BLACK ADAM

4          AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

5          TOP GUN: MAVERICK

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official DVD Chart 2023

1          BLACK ADAM

2          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

3          ELVIS

4          OPPENHEIMER

5          TOP GUN: MAVERICK

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official Blu-Ray Chart 2023

1          OPPENHEIMER

2          AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

3          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

4          BLACK ADAM

5          MISSON: IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PT 1

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official Digital Film Download Chart

1          AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

2          THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

3          BARBIE

4          INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

5          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official Digital Film Rental Chart 2023

1          BARBIE

2          JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4

3          BLACK ADAM

4          MEG 2 – THE TRENCH

5          NO HARD FEELINGS

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official TV on Video Chart 2023

1          HOUSE OF THE DRAGON – SEASON 1

2          THE LAST OF US – SEASON 1

3          STAR TREK – STRANGE NEW WORLDS – SEASON 1

4          DOCTOR WHO – 60TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS

5          THE WALKING DEAD – THE COMPLETE 11TH SEASON

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

 

Official Catalogue Film Chart 2023 on DISC

1          ELVIS

2          TOP GUN: MAVERICK

3          JURASSIC WORLD – DOMINION

4          HOUSE OF THE DRAGON – SEASON 1

5          FANTASTIC BEASTS – SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE

© OFFICIAL CHARTS COMPANY

[1] Omdia 2023

[2] ComScore

[3] Futuresource Consulting & Official Charts Company

[4] Futuresource Consulting

[5] Barb Establishment Survey Q3 2023

[6] Futuresource Consulting

[7] Omdia 2023

[8] Omdia 2023

[9]  Omdia 2023

[10] Warner Bros. Discovery

[11] Official Charts Company

[12] Lionsgate, Elevation Sales

[13] Official Charts Company

[14] Official Charts Company

[15] Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

[16] Official Charts Company

[17] The Walt Disney Company

[18] Official Charts Company

[19] BFI Weekend Box Office Figures

[20] Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

[21] Official Charts Company

[22] Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

[23] Official Charts Company

[24] Warner Bros. Discovery

[25] Universal Pictures

[26] Official Charts Company

[27] BFI Weekend Box Office Figures

[28] The Event Cinema Association

[29] Warner Bros. Discovery/HBO

[30] Official Charts Company

[31] Official Charts Company

[32] Official Charts Company

[33] Futuresource Consulting

[34] Futuresource Consulting

[35] Official Charts Company

[36] Omdia 2023

[37] ComScore

[38] Futuresource Consulting, & Official Charts

[39] BFI Weekend Box Office Figures

[40] Official Charts Company

[41] Official Charts Company

[42] Official Charts Company

[43] Barb Establishment Survey Q3 2023

[44] Barb Establishment Survey Q3 2023

[45] Futuresource Consulting

[46] https://variety.com/2024/film/news/netflix-q4-2023-earnings-results-subscribers-profit-1235883585/

[47] 2024 Media Trends & Predictions, Kantar Media

[48] Omdia 2023

[49] Omdia 2023

[50] Omdia 2023

[51] Omdia 2023

[52] Omdia 2023

[53] Omdia 2023

[54] Official Charts Company

[55] Official Charts Company

[56] Official Charts Company

[57] Official Charts Company

[58] BFI Weekend Box Office Figures

[59] Official Charts Company

[60] Official Charts Company

[61] Futuresource Consulting

[62] Official Charts Company

[63] BFI Weekend Box Office Figures

[64] Warner Bros. Discovery

[65] BFI Weekend Box Office Figures

[66] Official Charts Company

[67] Warner Bros. Discovery

[68] Official Charts Company

[69] Warner Bros. Discovery

[70] Paramount Pictures, Elevation Sales

[71] eOne Entertainment

[72] BBC

[73] Official Charts Company & FutureSource Consulting

In support of Action for Children
In support of Action for Children

Action for Children believe that every child and young person in the UK should have a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive. They work to protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support. They work to ensure children and young peoples voices are heard, and campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives.

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