A new report by Deloitte Access Economics confirms what Australians have long felt intuitively – the ABC’s screen productions deliver enormous value far beyond what appears on our screens. It makes a compelling case for public broadcasting as both an economic engine and a cultural necessity.

The headline figure is striking

Between 2022-23 and 2024-25, ABC-commissioned screen productions contributed $772 million in value added to the Australian economy. That figure includes the ABC’s internal productions and its co-commissioned works with independent producers.  

The ABC also generates employment opportunities. Over the same period its internal and externally commissioned works supported over 7,700 full-time equivalent roles: for every ABC employee who worked on screen productions, three additional jobs were supported. These are real jobs for writers, directors, camera operators, editors, sound engineers, set designers and scores of other creative and technical professionals.

And the jobs were spread across the country: NSW added over 4,150 jobs, and Victoria more than 2,100 jobs. Smaller states like Tasmania also benefited, with $40 million in value added to the local economy and 441 jobs supported.

The ABC generates new investment in screen production

The ABC plays a catalytic role in drawing in funding from other sources, the report found. Every dollar spent by the ABC on external commissions leveraged an additional $1.31 in investment from government and other sources.

The ABC’s editorial credibility, brand strength, and commissioning commitment act as ‘market attachment’ – the anchor that unlocks Screen Australia grants, state screen agency rebates, private equity, and international co-production deals. Without the ABC, many – perhaps most – of those funds would not flow into Australian productions.

From 2022-23 to 2024-25, the ABC contributed $275 million to external co-commissions, leading to the creation of 156 titles across Australia in a diverse range of genres.

The ABC plays a more important role in Australia’s screen ecosystem than it ever has. We are increasingly at the centre of economic resilience of the sector and delivering critical support to creative industry businesses and talent in every part of the country.

Hugh Marks, ABC Managing Director

Audiences still love the ABC

In 2024-25, approximately 5.4 million Australians, that’s 20% of the population, watched ABC-commissioned broadcast productions each week, an increase of 2% from  2022-23. The broadcast audience consumed nearly 7.8 million hours of ABC content each week. Weekly viewing on ABC on iView grew to almost 8 million hours, a 23% increase since 2022-23, and roughly one-quarter of all free-to-air broadcast video on demand hours watched in Australia.  

The ABC is especially valued by Australians living in regional areas: on average over 25% of the total regional population watched ABC-commissioned content each week. As commercial broadcasters reduce their presence outside the major metropolitan centres the role of the ABC in offering original Australian content has become more important  than ever.  

A cultural force in a disrupted landscape

With Australian television production costs having risen at an average annual rate of around 16%, overall production has fallen. In 2024-25, for example, expenditure on children’s productions was 44% below the five-year average. Commercial broadcasters have pulled back from expensive genres. More Australians are viewing the global streaming platforms without aren’t subject to the same local content obligations.

Thank goodness for the ABC! It has been a consistent and committed commissioner – even with decreased funding. In 2024-25, it was the largest commissioner of Australian content in drama and children’s drama, contributing to 13 of the 18 drama titles produced by free-to-air broadcasters, as well as four of the five children’s drama productions.

Without the ABC, entire genres of Australian storytelling would decline – or disappear. As it is, original content has declined precipitously for some genres as a result of funding cuts. 

Cassandra Parkinson, President, ABC Friends

The Australian public appreciates the ABC’s special role in our cultural landscape. Surveys from 2016 to 2025 show that on average, 78% of ABC viewers recognise the organisation as distinctly Australian and believe it plays a major role in building national identity, while 77% agree that it reflects the cultural diversity of Australia.

The last bastion for children’s content

The ABC is now one of the few commissioners and broadcasters that presents authentic Australian voices on screen for children, with programming that is age-appropriate, inclusive, and culturally relevant. And it’s freely accessible nationwide so all families can access it, regardless of where they live or what they earn.

High-quality children’s content supports cognitive and language development, social and emotional learning, and creativity. Early educational engagement through quality television content is linked to higher educational attainment, which in turn leads to improved employment prospects, greater lifetime earnings, and stronger social participation. Programs like Bluey, Play School, and Behind the News deliver measurable developmental benefits alongside their entertainment value.

The bigger picture

The ABC functions as a form of public infrastructure for Australian culture, creativity, and economic life. It sustains industries, trains emerging talent, represents regional and Indigenous voices, and exports Australian stories to over 80 countries. Its quality content is there for all of us.

In a media landscape increasingly dominated by global platforms, the ABC isn’t simply a ‘nice-to-have’— it’s irreplaceable. Its $772 million economic contribution is the measurable part. Its contribution to national identity, children’s development, social cohesion, and the stories that only Australia can tell — those benefits are harder to quantify, but no less real.