Audiences Beginning to Feel Effects of Strikes as Streaming Series Orders Plummet
New data released by Ampere Analysis shows scripted TV releases plummeted in 2023, and are unlikely to rebound in 2024.
When the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike simultaneously for the first time in 60 years last summer, Netflix executives struck a confident tone. Their content pipeline was full for months to come, they promised, and no matter how long the strikes dragged on they would not run out of new shows. But new data released by Ampere Analysis shows that streamers like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and others may not have been as strike-proof as they wanted observers to believe.
- Ampere’s data shows that the number of series released in 2023 was lower than in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
- Subscription streaming services were responsible for the bulk of the decline, releasing 77 fewer TV seasons in 2023.
- Declines are due to a number of factors, including strikes and cost-cutting measures by streaming providers.
How Bad Was 2023’s New TV Inventory?
Ampere’s data shows that releases of scripted TV series in the United States fell from 633 in 2021 and 2022 to 481 in 2023. Much of this decline is attributable to the strikes, which caused broadcast TV to release 55 fewer seasons of shows over the course of the year, and now has studios scrambling to ready half-seasons of episodes for release in late January or early February of this year.
The 481 scripted shows released in the United States in 2023 is even lower than the 510 shows that debuted in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down productions entirely for months on end. Thanks to the lag time between the greenlighting of shows and their arrival on streaming platforms or TV schedules, U.S. scripted TV releases in 2024 aren’t likely to rise precipitously from their 2023 numbers, especially considering the number of commissions for new shows has also fallen to 418.
Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services reduced their inventory of new series released by 77 in 2023, and not all of this loss can be blamed on the strikes, as the slowdowns in releases began early in the year. Netflix released 68 new series in 2023, as opposed to 107 in 2022, and Peacock (-20 titles) Hulu (-11), Max (-9), and Paramount+ (-4) all saw declines as well. As far as commissions of new shows go, only Prime Video kept its order of new titles steady from the previous year, so it’s likely that new streaming titles will keep declining in 2024.
Why Are Streamers Releasing Fewer Shows if Not for Strike-Related Reasons?
There are several factors keeping major streaming platforms from unkinking the content fire hose the way they did in years past. One important one to consider is that streaming services are mostly all chasing the ever-important metric of profitability. That has led to smaller content spends by most of the top streaming services, as each tries to focus on producing only top-level titles that will keep customers engaged.
The reduction in the number of shows being produced in the United States, and the corresponding upswing in titles being produced internationally is also a factor. Commissions of new shows in the U.S. in 2023 were 46% lower than commissions of shows that will be produced elsewhere, thanks both to the strikes and the decentralization of big-name TV productions.
“A combination of disruptive strike action, a tightening of purse strings at SVoD services, and the relative bang-for-your-buck offered by international production markets, in terms of costs, fresh content, and potential subscriber growth, saw the US scripted boom finally run out of steam,” said Ampere Analyst Fred Black. “While 2024 will see some level of a bounce back in the content being ordered, many of these titles will be released in 2025, meaning any recovery is likely to be slow going.”
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.