A report released Monday by seven Hollywood unions puts hard numbers on a shift the production industry has felt for years: the United States is keeping a much smaller share of its own film and television production.
The analysis covers scripted, live-action productions from larger studios, with feature budgets of at least $5 million and TV episode budgets of at least $1 million, or $1.7 million for longer episodes.
The domestic share keeps shrinking
Between 1999 and 2024, the share of major U.S. studio film production spending shot partially or primarily in the U.S. fell from 74% to 42%. The TV side fell from 94% to 64%. By volume, the share of films shot at least partly in the U.S. slipped from 66% to 54%, while TV episodes dropped from 96% to 70%.
- Film production spending: 74% to 42%
- TV production spending: 94% to 64%
- Films shot at least partly in the U.S.: 66% to 54%
- Major studio TV episodes: 96% to 70%
Cast-and-crew shares fell even more sharply: from 72% to 43% on major studio films, and from 86% to 58% on TV.
Tentpoles are leading the move
Marvel and Lucasfilm have shifted virtually all high-budget production overseas, including upcoming Avengers films. Paramount, Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal have done the same on recent tentpoles such as Barbie, Wicked and Sonic the Hedgehog.
That matters because tentpoles anchor local production infrastructure: stages, equipment rental, visual effects vendors and below-the-line crew pipelines. When the biggest productions leave, the ecosystem thins.
Why a share number matters
This report deals in share, not absolute dollars. A falling U.S. share means the relative center of gravity is moving toward incentive-friendly markets. For media planners and marketers, that is an early signal of where future content will come from, which talent pools are being developed, and which local economies are attracting production spend.
The unions frame the consequences directly. “Unless action is taken America will continue to lose ground in retaining this industry and the middle-class jobs it provides,” they said in a joint statement.
The policy lever
Last month the Motion Picture Association said a 20% federal tax credit that can be stacked on state benefits could add $250 billion in gross economic value and support an annual average of 143,500 additional jobs. The union coalition is using the new data to press for federal action.
The next marker is whether Washington moves. Until then, expect state-level incentive programs and production-cost advantages in international markets to keep pulling decisions. For anyone planning around content volume, the location of the spend is now part of the forecast.
Source: Deadline
