Italian Original Content Output Has Dropped 12% Largely Due to Less Commissions From U.S. Streamers, Rome MIA Market Report Says

In 2024, total investments within Italy’s television and film sectors rose by 9%, reaching €16.3 billion ($19 billion). However, the production of original Italian content experienced a 12% decline, totaling 658 hours in the most recent season, primarily due to decreased commissions from American streaming services.

This key finding was highlighted in a report released by the Italian television producers’ association APA at the Rome MIA market, which focuses on international TV series, documentaries, animation, and feature films.

Free-to-air broadcasters in Italy continue to dominate, making up over 60% of the country’s scripted original content, with RAI, the state broadcaster, remaining a major force in the local industry. The report states that both linear channels and streaming platforms in Italy increasingly rely less on original programming compared to prior seasons.

It also pointed out a 29% reduction in Italian original commissions from platforms like Netflix and Prime Video, a 16% decrease from pay-TV stations (predominantly Sky Italia), and an 8% fall from free-to-air channels.

According to APA’s president, Chiara Sbarigia, the Italian television market is moving from a “demand-driven model to a product-driven model,” which entails a more selective approach to project selection, favoring productions with global appeal.

During a panel at MIA, RAI Fiction’s chief Maria Pia Ammirati remarked on how RAI has paradoxically spearheaded the country’s digital shift, citing the Naples-based prison drama “The Sea Beyond” (depicted above). This successful series has aired on both RAI’s streaming service and linear channels, and also found its way to Netflix Italia. Eleonora Andreatta, VP of content for Netflix Italy, emphasized that “Netflix continues to invest in Italian productions” and highlighted the achievements of its period drama “The Law According to Lidia Poët,” along with its high-end series “The Leopard” and the Italian film “The Children’s Train,” all of which secured spots in Netflix’s global top ten.

Similarly, Viktoria Wasilewski, country manager for Prime Video Italy, noted Amazon’s recent high-profile Italian original “Hotel Costiera,” featuring Jesse Williams, along with the forthcoming English-language original “Postcards From Italy” and the Tuscany-based film “No Place to Be Single,” which are both crafted with international aspirations, she explained.

Nils Hartmann, EVP of Sky Studios Italia, commended “the exceptional quality of scripted content being produced in Italy, whether across streaming, linear, or pay-TV channels.” He also highlighted that “over the last five years, eight out of ten of Sky Italy’s most viewed series have been Italian originals,” even as the platform continues to rely significantly on acquisitions. Among its anticipated Italian originals with international potential is the Gucci family saga series “Game Over,” directed by Gabriele Muccino, renowned for his work on “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith.