The European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) has published a new report titled “Adaptations in audiovisual fiction production in Europe – 2023 figures”, offering a comprehensive overview of the role that adaptations play in European TV and SVoD fiction. Drawing on data spanning from 2015 to 2023, the report sheds light on key production trends and the shifting balance between original screenplays and adapted works in the region.

One of the report’s main findings is that 88% of European TV and SVoD fiction adaptations are based on original works from Europe. More than half of these adaptations originate from just four countries: the United Kingdom (23%), Germany (17%), France (10%) and Spain (7%). Only 12% of European fiction adaptations are based on non-European works, with the United States accounting for half of that figure.

On average, over 160 titles and more than 1,400 hours of audiovisual fiction adaptations are produced annually in Europe. These figures include both TV films and TV series, with each season of a series counted as a separate title. In total, 14% of all audiovisual fiction works produced in Europe between 2015 and 2023, amounting to 1,524 titles, were adaptations, confirming their established presence in the European production landscape.

The report underscores that streamers rely more heavily on adaptations than broadcasters. Between 2021 and 2023, adaptations represented 20% of streamers’ original fiction output, compared to 15% for private broadcasters and 11% for public broadcasters. Public service broadcasters in major European markets and global players such as Netflix were identified as the top commissioners of audiovisual fiction adaptations. The BBC, ZDF, Netflix, ARD and France Télévisions have each commissioned over 100 adaptations in the past eight years.

Books remain the primary source for audiovisual fiction adaptations, representing 74% of the total. TV series follow with 19%. Detective and crime novels continue to dominate the landscape, with Agatha Christie (UK) and Claudia Rossbacher (Austria) topping the list of most frequently adapted authors, each with ten adaptations between 2015 and 2023. Despite their popularity, book adaptations saw a 13% year-on-year decline in 2023, a drop attributed to an overall decrease in European fiction production (down 6%). Most of the books adapted for the screen were published after 2000 (68%), while works from the 20th century accounted for 28%, and pre-20th-century titles for just 4%.

The report also highlights distinct trends in the geographic origins of source material. Books used for adaptations tend to be national in origin, with 82% of them produced in the same country as the original work. In contrast, adapted TV series are primarily international: in 92% of cases, the country of production differed from the country of origin. Notable examples include the Norwegian teen drama series SKAM and the British thriller series Liar, each remade in six European countries.

The UK leads in the share of adaptations among its national fiction output, with 25% of UK fiction titles being adaptations. It is followed by Italy (19%), Sweden and France (18% each), Spain (17%) and Poland (15%). In terms of content format, most adaptations fall into two categories: high-end TV series with no more than 13 episodes per season (54%) and standalone TV films (36%).

The study also reveals that adaptations are more prevalent in co-productions. Between 2015 and 2023, 23% of audiovisual fiction co-productions in Europe were adaptations, compared to 13% for non-co-produced works. Furthermore, British and German productions show a strong preference for adapting books, while Dutch and Czech productions draw equally from books and TV series.

The report confirms that adaptations are a strategic choice for content creators and commissioners. Their proven audience appeal, combined with the visibility of pre-existing intellectual property, offers a safer bet in an increasingly competitive and fragmented marketplace.

Download the full report here.