To that end, they urge the government to require a 5% tax on streaming services. This proposal follows on from a wider call for evidence into the UK film and high-end TV industries, first launched in 2023. The submission process gathered testimony from 130 businesses and trade associations. This wide-ranging input reflected a wide range of ideas on what the industry is grappling with and the challenges we face.
In response, the committee has announced an inquiry looking at the spending, policy and administration of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This inquiry extension covers its connected institutions like the British Film Institute (BFI). The BFI’s CEO, Ben Roberts, and Chair, Jay Hunt, have been instrumental in advocating for increased support for the sector amid growing competition from international markets.
The report calls for an urgent research agenda into regulatory approaches that may be suitable for streaming platforms. This means a deeper dive into terms of trade that might guarantee equitable treatment and investment into British content. The committee’s insights come at a time when the BFI has seen a notable increase in applications for its certification unit, rising from one category in 2011 to six categories today, which encompass film, independent film, high-end television (HETV), video games, animation, and children’s TV.
Yet the BFI certification unit has quintupled the number of tax incentives since 2011. This dramatic increase is a sign that the stars are beginning to align in terms of understanding how we support the creative space. The report further urges the government to connect future public investment in ScreenSkills to defined, measurable outcomes. This would help guarantee that the proposed training entity lives up to ambitious performance benchmarks that are appropriate to industry demand.
In addition to these recommendations, the UK’s Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) has been established. Its goal is to protect the predominantly freelance creative class from abuse and harassment. CIISA has the flexibility of an industry-funded body. It’s given robust support from far and wide, counting Time’s Up UK, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky among its backers. Its purpose is to establish clear standards of conduct that should be expected and adhered to throughout the creative industries.
The BFI has called for more grant-in-aid and National Lottery funding, as it is one of five arts beneficiaries. This funding is the lifeblood of a series of programmes aimed at strengthening the UK’s film and television industries.
“There is a significant risk that studios will seek faster processes when considering where to make future productions especially as other countries are making large investments in production infrastructure to attract inward investment,” – BFI