Production Restart Report

ProdPro

November 9, 2023

ProdPro, a global leader in tracking TV and film productions, measures $10B of production spend on hold and ready to return now that SAG and AMPTP have reached agreement.

What's important

61 projects that started filming before the strikes will need to finish filming

118 projects that were prepping were delayed by the strikes and will have new start dates. This includes 57 returning TV seasons as well as 22 new series and 39 new features

Why it matters

This is an unusual time with dates and schedules in flux as productions are getting up and running again. The logistical implications of the return will likely present further delays, as stage space reservations and talent availability throw a wrench in studio slates.

We’re seeing a flood of projects gearing up to go in Q4 and Q1, but also expect to see an overall pullback in 2024 compared to the highs of 2022 as the studios reduce their overall slates in this new entertainment environment.

Even before the strikes started, ProdPro saw a pullback partly attributed to the anticipation of the strikes and partly due to the correction of the post-COVID boom. ProdPro’s data showed that scripted TV and film production in the United States began to slow in Q1 2023, which saw a 19% drop in the number of productions starting principal photography and a 27% decline in overall budgets of the productions starting compared to the prior year. That trend accelerated in Q2 in the immediate lead-up to the WGA strike, with a 35% drop-off in the number of projects starting compared to 2022.

Pipeline by status

Below is the breakdown of productions expected to return, grouped by status.

Estimated Spend on Hold by Studio

Looking at the impacts of the strike based on the studio behind halted projects, Walt Disney, Warner Bros., and Comcast were the most affected, with a full breakdown by studio displayed below.

Total Estimated Production Budgets On Hold by Country

While the stoppage was driven by United States labor unions, both the WGA’s 148 day strike and SAG-AFTRA’s 118 day strike had notable effects on productions worldwide.

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