iWorld
High-end TV production spend in the UK hits £2.6bn in 2019
MUMBAI: 2019 has seen a significant boost in high-end television productions made in the UK. The UK ‘high end’ TV 2014-2019 report by analyst Ben Keen states that investment in UK shows using the high-end TV tax credit has doubled since 2014. Spend per hour is up: Average spend/hour has risen by 60 per cent since average budget allotted to shows has nearly doubled – partly due to average number of hours per show increasing substantially.
There has beena 56 per cent increase in HETV productions commissioned solely by streamers in 2019. Number of shows with third party involvement, or co-commissions, has nearly doubled, up 17 per cent. In fact,third parties now contribute more to thefunding of Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) dramas than PSBsthemselves. The trend shows no sign of slowing.
Owing to this spike in collaboration between traditional broadcasters and SVoDs, investment in UK TV dramas has more than doubled since 2014, hitting a record high of £2.6 billion (US$3.5 billion)in 2019, up 31 per cent from 2018 and over 3X the 2014 total.
Sole commissions have also increased across the sector, with PSBs, pay-TV operators and SVoD streamers all increasing activity. The BBC alone commissioned 26 HETV shows.
Number of shows per year is up 25 per cent since 2014, and total number of HETV productions rose 19 per cent to 142last year. Hours made per year increased 59 per cent since 2014.
The report states that co-commissioning is more important for drama HETV productions than any single broadcaster or streaming platform. Amazon, AMC, Netflix, PBS, HBO & Hulu have been the most important partners for PSB productions; 28 different partners since 2014.
Streamers like Amazon, Netflix & Hulu have become increasingly important partners for PSB drama productions. Netflix participation in PSB co-commissioning peaked in 2017, but active in 2019 with four in year-to-date.
The report further highlights that third parties – like global streamers have become increasingly important to funding of PSB dramas via co-commissioning. A record £664million was invested in making original PSB drama last year, but 56 per cent was contributed by third parties – like global streamers. As a result, original drama hours on PSB channels have stabilised since HETV tax break was introduced in 2014.
The average spend per hour for all HETV productions has increased, jumping almost 60 per cent to £4.1m last year. However, total number of screen hours of HETV productions fell to 643 – fewer than in 2016.
On the other hand, with their production budgets boosted by higher third-party spending, PSBs themselves actually reduced their direct spend per hour by £45,000, while increasing the hours of drama they were able to air compared with 2018.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
