A report commissioned by a company jointly owned by the UK’s biggest free to air channels concludes that its shareholders play a “critical role” in the wider broadcasting ecosystem.
The report also repeats regularly made calls for ministers to “strengthen” the public service broadcasting system in the face of competition from the global streaming services audiences are increasingly migrating to.
It was commissioned by Everyone TV, a company jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 which runs the Freeview, Freesat and Freely platforms on their behalf.
According to its findings, these public service broadcasters account “for 71% of UK original content investment in 2024 and 85% of all original hours in 2025”. The second of these figures excludes news and sports content.
The report also finds that “nearly two thirds of PSB original hours are made outside of London” and that the broadcasters have played an important role in the rise of the UK’s independent production sector.
While many so-called ‘Indies’ are part of large groups, including the BBC and ITV, today’s report says of the 235 independent producers commissioned by PSBs in 2025, 76% were classified as small producers
It also argues that skills developed on content commissioned by the PSBs, and sometimes through their direct investment, benefit the wider broadcasting and streaming sector.
Commenting on the findings, Jonathan Thompson, CEO of Everyone TV, said: “The UK TV sector’s global success is not an accident.
“It is built on a public service broadcasting system that takes creative risks, backs new ideas and gives talent and production companies across the country the chance to grow into successful businesses with international reach.
“This report shows that PSBs do not just commission programmes; they enable the skills, talent, and formats that power the wider TV economy, travel around the world and reinforce the UK’s reputation as one of the most creative and competitive TV markets.
“As the way people watch TV continues to change, it is vital that we protect what holds that system up, while carefully planning free TV’s evolution for the future. That means keeping British content free, easy to find and widely available.”
Despite the pleadings for PSBs to be seen as a special cause, audiences are increasingly turning away from their schedules which are increasingly padded out with cheaper ‘celebs on holiday’, quiz and reality TV formats.
Global streamers such as Netflix, Apple TV, Paramount+ and Prime Video are investing record sums in the UK, bringing audiences high quality, original dramas and comedies made by, and starring, local talent.
Additionally, these subscription apps offer a host of features which UK broadcasters make little to no effort to match, including high end picture and audio formats and the ability to choose from multiple soundtracks, allowing audiences to listen in their own language, one they’re also familiar with or one they’re currently learning.