NZ screen industry revenue grows 2% in 2015 as Auckland increases dominance

The New Zealand screen industry's revenue grew 2% in 2015, with Auckland dominating production and post-production and commercial revenue improving.

Total revenue for the sector was $3.22 billion in 2015, up from $3.16 billion a year earlier, according to Statistics NZ. The screen industry includes feature films, production, television broadcasting, distribution and movie screenings.

The production and post-production sector improved 9% to $1.57 billion in 2015, while film exhibition rose 7% to $172 million.

Revenue for television broadcasting and film and video distribution was kept confidential but the two sectors combined were worth $1.48 billion in 2015, down from $1.56 billion in 2014. The vast majority of that was generated in Auckland, with about $2 million from the South Island.

Auckland continued to dominate on a regional basis, bringing in $2.5 billion, or 78%, of total revenue. Its revenue share has improved steadily from 70% in 2012, eating away at revenue in Wellington. The capital's revenue fell 15% to $602 million in 2015, giving it 19% of the market. In 2012, it brought in $889 million in revenue, or 27% of the national total.

Production and post-production growth was driven from Auckland, up 39% to $902 million, giving New Zealand's biggest city 58% of that market. Television programmes accounted for nearly half of that, with 84% of television programmes produced in Auckland. The city attracted 83% of government funding, 67% of private funding and 72% of international funding last year.

Wellington was hit by a 55% fall in feature film production and post-production revenue, which dropped to $289 million, with overall production revenue improved by an enormous increase in revenue from commercials and non-broadcast media. Those numbers were kept confidential, but the formats combined grew to $247 million in 2015, from $13 million in 2014.

Nationwide commercial revenue more than tripled to $545 million, which the statistics agency said was driven by increases in commercial-derived revenue from businesses involved in contracting activity.

Just 1% of revenue came from the rest of the North Island, and 3% from the South Island, with those proportions the same since 2012.

(BusinessDesk)