£3.2 Billion Spent in Europe on Acquired Content

LONDON: European broadcasters spent more than £3 billion on acquiring finished content and formats from around the world in 2009, according to Content Economics Research.

The research also indicates that the U.K. was the biggest spender, shelling out some £650 million on acquisitions. The Hollywood studios, led by Warner Bros. and Disney Media Distribution, are the largest distributors in terms of sales to Europe, while the biggest European seller is BBC Worldwide.

American content is the most expensive in terms of cost per hour, and the U.K. reportedly pays the highest prices in Europe for U.S. drama. The challenge for the studios will be offering up the next big must-have hit. For European distributors, meanwhile, consolidation is likely, the report says, following the downturn in the original commissioning industry and the decline in prices paid by broadcasters for acquired content.