Spending on UK film and high-end television productions fell by approximately 26% during the first nine months of 2026, reflecting a substantial reduction in international investment and more intense competition from overseas filming locations.
Figures published by the British Film Institute show that productions beginning principal photography between January and September generated approximately £4.1bn in UK expenditure.
That compares with £5.5bn initially reported for the equivalent period in 2025, a decline of approximately 25.5%. The figures are subject to revision as the BFI receives additional production information.
Feature film production expenditure fell 37% to £1.28bn, compared with approximately £2.03bn in the previous comparable period.
The decline was concentrated in inward investment productions, which are principally financed and controlled from overseas but undertake filming and other production activities within Britain.
Expenditure associated with these films declined by approximately £746m, representing a year-on-year fall of 40%.
Despite the reduction, inward investment accounted for approximately £1.11bn of UK feature film spending during the first nine months of the year.
High-end television production also weakened, with expenditure declining 20% to £2.79bn from approximately £3.48bn.
The figures measure spending associated with productions starting principal photography during the reporting period. They do not represent total spending by every production active in Britain, nor the overall economic contribution of the country’s creative industries.
International competition affects production activity —
The BFI attributed the decline to a combination of changes in the international production market, increased competition between filming territories, and a particularly strong comparable period during 2025.
Major overseas productions can involve substantial expenditure on studio facilities, technical services, construction, equipment, and specialist workers.
As a result, the timing and location of individual productions can produce significant changes in reported spending between quarters and years.
International competition for these projects has intensified as countries offer production incentives and expand their studio facilities and specialist workforce capacity.
British film and television production remains an important source of employment for freelance crews, visual effects specialists, facilities providers, and businesses supplying services to large productions.
Reduced expenditure can therefore affect commercial activity beyond the production companies commissioning films and television programmes.
Not every segment of the UK market experienced a decline.
Spending on international co-productions increased 31% to approximately £68m, while the number of domestic UK feature films beginning production rose from 53 to 65.
However, expenditure on domestic films declined to approximately £103m from £124m, indicating that more productions were operating with smaller aggregate budgets.
The total number of feature films beginning production changed comparatively little, rising from 120 to 123.
This distinction is important because the volume of productions does not necessarily indicate the amount of expenditure flowing through British businesses and facilities.
Other indicators of screen-sector activity were more positive. UK cinema admissions increased 15% during January to September, while box-office receipts rose 20% to approximately £897m.
Those figures measure audience spending on completed films rather than investment in productions currently being made.
The BFI’s next full-year production statistics are scheduled for February 2027, when the final-quarter figures will provide a fuller assessment of production expenditure across 2026.
