ACMA Expenditure Data: More spent on Light Entertainment than Sport in FY21-22

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its FY21-22 content expenditure data report, highlighting where Australian commercial broadcasters spent their money in the previous financial year. 

ACMA collects program expenditure data on a voluntary basis from commercial television networks, submitted by March 31 each year.

Overall, the networks spent $1.94 billion on Australian and overseas programs. This number is up from $1.78 billion in the previous financial year, and the highest number of the last five financial years.

Of that $1.94 billion, the number is split into $1.54 billion spent on Australian content, and $0.4 billion on overseas content. Despite the overall highest spend in FY21-22, both FY17-18 and FY18-19 had a higher spend on Australian content – $1.63b and $1.57b respectively. 

In FY20-21, Australian Sport was far and away the genre that had the most spent on it, totalling $623.1m, with Australian Light Entertainment – Other following with $499.16m. This trend has reversed in FY21-22, but by the thinnest of margins. Australian Light Entertainment – Other is now the genre with the most expenditure, coming in at $546.46m, as opposed to Australian Sport’s $545.00m.

The biggest leap came from the Overseas – Other category, which leapt from a total expenditure of $57.05m in FY20-21 to $168.27m in FY21-22. 

In the regions, Australian News and Current Affairs dominate expenditure, with $30.36m being spent in FY21-22, up from $27.49m in FY20-21.

It’s also good news for Australian News and Current Affairs in capital cities, with FY21-22 recording the highest spend in five years, coming in with a total of $330.48m.

Despite Bluey becoming the most streamed acquired series in America, Australian Children’s TV still trails behind in terms of spend for commercial TV, with Australian Children’s Drama recording $2.027m and Australian Children’s – Other recording $883,445 in FY21-22.

The full FY21-22 Commercial TV Program Expenditure Report can be found here.