In 2024, the Italian audiovisual industry’s worth grew to 16.3 billion euros, equating to a 9% rise on the previous year and consolidating an average annual growth rate of 4.6% since 2018, which is more than double the national GDP. This rise is driven by linear TV - which is stealing the limelight thanks to the boom in advertising investment - and online video (both free and payable, encompassing SVoD, TVoD, EST and AvoD services) which is growing continuously, confirming the central role the sector plays in the digital landscape. These are the results to have emerged from the 7th Report on National Audiovisual Production, which was presented on 7 October by the chair of Italy’s APA – Association of Audiovisual Producers Chiara Sbarigia within the MIA | Rome International Audiovisual Market.

As such, even as recently as 2024, linear TV remains the primary audiovisual source, accounting for 52% of the total sector; taking into account the area covered by network audiovisual sources (TV and online video offerings), TV actually accounts for roughly 61% of the total market, confirming the central role also played by traditional operators in the transition to digital. Movie theatres are the only segment which didn’t record growth in 2024 in terms of the revenue it attracted compared to the previous year.

2024 was characterised by a further rise (of 10%) in the overall cost of producing “Original Italian” works for movie theatres (films), TV and VoD, in all scripted (fiction, documentaries and animation) and unscripted genres (entertainment, news features, talk shows, magazines etc).

Conducted by APA with support from research institutes such as eMedia, Ce.R.T.A. Centro di Ricerca sulla Televisione e gli Audiovisivi and Fondazione Symbola, the study further highlights that after years of expansion sustained by demand and tax incentives, the market is entering into a new phase characterised by a transition from a demand-driven model to a product-driven model, with a wider selection of projects and a focus on the international circulation of works.

Italian production is continuing to excel with hit titles which are making for an increasingly selective audiovisual landscape. Even unscripted works are on the rise, with independent production and branded entertainment playing an increasingly dominant role.

There has been a drop, however, in original scripted content: both linear and OTT publishers are focusing on fewer original titles compared to previous seasons. The market has likewise seen a reduction in the overall number of independent production firms active over the season (-22%), with a clear prevalence of companies involved with just one film (67%).

Short forms are emerging as a new creative and commercial frontier, buoyed by TikTok and Instagram, and effectively transforming the way stories are told and audiences are engaged.

The public aid system —Tax Credit in particular — remains an essential lever for sustaining growth in demand, the focus on quality, and independent production. The report does underline, however, the need for the aid system to be based on rigour, speed, simplicity and effectiveness when it comes to handing out subsidies.

“The added value offered by our production system – stressed Chair Chiara Sbarigia – is linked to independent firms: they’re the ones who guarantee ownership of ideas, operational flexibility and the capacity to create exportable projects. Investing in their financial sustainability and in the clarity of related rules will strengthen the international competitiveness of Italian audiovisual products”.

The industry currently consists of more than 124,000 professionals, composed of 4,747 entrepreneurial women and a significant presence of under 35s, even if it does still remain a predominantly male sector concentrated in the Lazio region. 

A panel discussion followed the presentation of the report, moderated by Massimo Scaglioni (director of the Ce.R.T.A. [Television and Audiovisual Research Centre] at the Università Cattolica), along the theme of production quality and involving some of the industry’s leading commissioners: Maria Pia Ammirati (director of RAI Fiction), Eleonora Andreatta (vice president for Italian content at Netflix), Daniele Cesarano (director of fiction at Mediaset), Nils Hartmann (executive vice president of Sky Studios Italia) and Viktoria Wasilewski (country manager of Prime Video Italy).  The panel focused on how, between traditional broadcasters and global platforms, the ecosystem is redefining itself, with concrete opportunities for international co-productions, high-budget titles, and short-form and branded content products which are gaining ground in editorial strategies.