How Australia’s policy environment has supported drama investment

Oliver & Ohlbaum (O&O) has produced an independent White Paper examining how investment in Australian drama has evolved in the context of the major market changes and policy responses to 2025.

Drawing on economic analysis, industry data and stakeholder insights, the report asks whether the ecosystem requires new regulatory interventions to deliver the government’s economic and cultural policy objectives. This includes consideration of the newly introduced streaming investment obligation, due to take effect in 2026.

Our analysis identifies:

• Record-breaking levels of investment in Australian drama

• Growth driven by SVOD services, in response to consumer demand

• Higher production budgets and improved on-screen quality, although with implications for production cost inflation

• Increased international availability of Australian drama exports, through SVOD services

• Growing inward investment in Australian drama and the wider screen sector

We find that the Producer Offset has played a vital role in supporting this growth.

This report was commissioned by Streaming for Australia (S4A) and the Australia New Zealand Screen Association (ANZSA).

Access the full report here.