Content Spend to Rise 6 Percent in 2022

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Global spending on acquired, original and sports content is expected to reach $240 billion this year, a 6 percent gain on 2021, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.

SVOD services are driving those content investment gains and are expected to account for more than 20 percent of all content spend this year. Investments by AVOD services remain low, Ampere notes. As the SVODs continue their global expansion plans, notably outside of Western Europe and North America, partnerships with local production outfits will be key, Ampere says.

The extensive competition within the streaming space will also help drive the level of new scripted shows back to pre-pandemic levels in the U.S. “Back in 2019, around two-thirds of Netflix releases occurred on a Friday, ahead of weekend viewing,” observes Richard Cooper, research director at Ampere. “In 2021, the proportion of shows releasing on a Friday dropped to around 50 percent, with Wednesdays and Thursdays gaining in popularity. Now, with an average of three scripted shows releasing every week, Netflix will be increasingly dominant across the weekly schedule.”

Another key trend to watch this year is in sports rights, especially for top-tier European football coverage. Ampere expects that the English Premier League will become the first major national competition that will generate more revenues from international TV deals than its domestic ones this year.