Film and TV Production Booms in UK and Ireland
The UK and Ireland's film and television production sectors have recorded their strongest combined performance in years, with the UK posting a total production spend of £6.8 billion in 2025 — a 22% increase on the previous year — while Ireland achieved a record €544 million, a 26% year-on-year rise, cementing both nations' status as premier global production destinations.
The figures, published by the British Film Institute and Screen Ireland respectively, reflect a surge in inward investment driven by major international productions, the continued strength of high-end television drama, and the enduring appeal of both countries' tax incentive regimes.
Background
The UK's film and high-end television industry has been one of the most consistent success stories of the British economy in recent years. The country's combination of world-class studios, skilled crews, diverse locations, and a generous tax relief regime has made it the destination of choice for major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms alike. The 2025 figures — the third-highest production spend on record — confirm that the industry has not only recovered from the disruption caused by the Hollywood strikes of 2023 but has emerged stronger than before.
Ireland's growth story is equally impressive. The country's Section 481 tax credit, which offers a 32% rebate on eligible production expenditure, has been instrumental in attracting major international productions, and the industry now contributes over €1 billion annually to the Irish economy while supporting approximately 10,000 full-time jobs. The record €544 million spend in 2025 was driven in part by Ireland's largest-ever production — the Netflix series Wednesday — alongside Amazon Prime Video's Bloodaxe and a strong slate of domestic productions.
Key Developments
In the UK, feature film production reached a record spend of £2.8 billion in 2025, a 31% increase from 2024, while high-end television production accounted for £4 billion, or 59% of the total spend. Major international productions contributing to these figures included A Minecraft Movie, Wicked: For Good, Supergirl, and the first series of the Harry Potter television adaptation. Inward investment accounted for 85% of the total UK spend, underscoring the country's dependence on international productions for the health of its screen industry.
In Ireland, Screen Ireland has announced a robust slate for 2026 comprising 87 projects, including 22 feature films and 13 television dramas. Investment in domestic production remains a priority, with a notable focus on television drama, animation, and Irish-language content, building on the success of films such as the Oscar-nominated The Quiet Girl. The organisation has also signalled its intention to develop Ireland's capacity for larger-scale international productions, with new studio infrastructure planned for the coming years.
UK box office revenue rose 2% to £996.8 million in 2025, though it remains 21% below pre-pandemic levels — a reminder that the recovery of cinema-going audiences is still incomplete, even as production activity reaches record levels.
Why It Matters
The boom in film and television production matters because it represents one of the most significant sources of high-skilled employment and inward investment in both the UK and Ireland. The sector generates economic activity far beyond the production itself — in hospitality, transport, construction, and the wider creative economy — and it plays an important role in projecting both countries' cultural identities on the global stage. The continued growth of the sector also demonstrates the effectiveness of tax incentive regimes as tools of industrial policy, providing a model that other sectors might seek to emulate.
For the streaming platforms and studios that are driving much of the growth, the UK and Ireland offer a combination of creative talent, production infrastructure, and financial incentives that is difficult to replicate elsewhere in the world.
Local Impact
In Northern Ireland, the boom in UK and Irish production is particularly welcome. The province built a global reputation as a filming destination through its association with Game of Thrones, and the screen industry has become one of the most important sectors of the Northern Ireland economy. Belfast's Titanic Studios and the wider network of locations across the province continue to attract major productions, and the growth in both UK and Irish production spend creates opportunities for Northern Irish crews, facilities, and suppliers. Screen Ireland's investment in Irish-language content also has resonance in the North, where the Irish language enjoys a growing cultural and political profile.
What's Next
Both the UK and Ireland are expected to maintain their strong production pipelines into 2026 and beyond. Screen Ireland's 87-project slate for 2026 signals continued ambition, while the UK's pipeline of major international productions — including the Elden Ring film adaptation, which began shooting in April 2026 — suggests that the record spend of 2025 may be matched or exceeded. The key challenge for both industries is to ensure that the benefits of the production boom are felt across the full breadth of the sector, including in domestic productions and in the development of the next generation of creative talent.
For the full statistics, see the BFI's official 2025 production statistics and Screen Daily's report on Ireland's record production spend.
