Production volume for Canadian content was $2.92 billion, a 12.4% decrease
OTTAWA — For the 12-month period ending just prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian film and television production sector generated $9.32 billion in production volume, $12.24 billion in gross domestic product and created 224,500 jobs across Canada.
That’s according to a new report, released last week by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), which provides an analysis of economic activity in Canada’s screen-based media production industry during the period between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.
“These numbers are an important reminder of the boundless economic potential of Canada’s film and television production sector,” said CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin, in a press release. “With a proven track record as an economic driver and potent job creator, our industry will undoubtedly play a key role in leading Canada’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
CMPA’s Profile 2020: Economic Report on the Screen-based Media Production Industry in Canada was compiled by Nordicity and was developed in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, Telefilm Canada and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM).
Findings in the report also show foreign location and service production continued to rise in 2019/2020, reaching an all-time high volume of $5.25 billion. Over the past 10 years, foreign location and service production has increased by 180% in Canada, while Canadian content production volume has increased by only 20%, according to a summary included in CMPA’s press release.
“The production volume for Canadian content was $2.92 billion, a 12.4% year-over-year decrease, which drove an overall 1.1% decline in total production volume in Canada in 2019/20,” reads the press release.
“While the capacity of Canada’s screen-based production sector has grown tremendously over the past decade, Canadian content production has not been able to keep pace due to our dated broadcasting system,” added Mastin. “Ongoing efforts to modernize our sector’s legislative and regulatory framework for the digital age through Bill C-10 will help address these issues and bring more great Canadian stories to screens around the world.”
For more, and to download the full Profile 2020 report, please click here.
