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March 2025: Insights into the Latest Film & TV Production Trends
Before we bring you our usual monthly production trends for March 2025, we want to highlight a peculiar observation about the stage before production—development.
Surge in Development Activity Signals Industry Expansion:
The global film and television industry saw a substantial rise in IP&Development activity from February to March 2025, reflecting increased confidence in content investment as well as deliberate and conscious intervention on the part of film and trade commissions to lift and support early-stage projects. Overall, development projects grew by 49%, with the EMEA region leading the charge, experiencing a remarkable 118% surge.
A combination of government grants, development funds, and support from film commissions is being used to strengthen local entertainment industries. Across countries such as Austria, Germany, Spain, and the UK, there is increasing focus on advancing project development in film.
The industry’s increased focus on development indicates long-term strategic planning, with studios prioritizing fresh storytelling, talent acquisition and innovative production models. As these projects progress, they are expected to contribute to a more diverse and expansive content landscape in the coming months.
Executive Summary: March 2025 Production Trends
However, while IP & Development activity surged in March 2025, Film and TV Productions saw contrasting trends across regions. The Asia Pacific (APAC) region saw a 28% drop in production activity compared to February. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), production was relatively flat, influenced by reduced commissioning spend from broadcasters. Meanwhile, production levels in the Americas showed no significant change.
| Region | Change in Production Activity (March 2025 vs. February 2025) | Key Factors Influencing Trends |
|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific (APAC) | 📉 28% decrease | Lower production activity |
| Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) | ➖ Flat | Reduced commissioning spend from broadcasters |
| Americas | ➖ No significant change | Stable production levels |
Welcome to the latest edition of Vitrina’s global tracking of Film and TV production trends, providing insights across Movies and Feature Films, TV series, Animations, Documentaries, Scripted, and Unscripted projects.
Before we dive into March 2025 metrics, let’s recap the key Film and TV production trends driving the industry over the last 3 years & 3 months.
The Global Monthly Film + TV Production Report is curated by Vitrina experts with insights from our network. The audio podcast was generated with Deep Dive and reviewed by our team.
Global Film & TV Production Snapshot: Last 39 Months
Source: Vitrina Daily Production Tracker. [X-Axis : Months starting from Jan 2022. Y-Axis Production Volumes : Production Volumes are the total number of projects greenlit or financed or commissioned in that month.
As is evident from the monthly trends monitored by Vitrina globally for Film+TV Productions that were commissioned, greenlit or financed – the last 3 years have been turbulent and eventful – to say the least! A quick summarized view would be:
2022: A year of extremes—an early-year “revenge production financing” surge fueled by post-COVID recoveries, followed by a sharp market correction on Wall Street’s market-cap reset for entertainment companies, leading to widespread budget tightening.
2023: Marked by Hollywood strikes, which froze scripted productions in the US & UK, forcing many studios to pivot toward unscripted content and international markets.
2024: A year of stabilization with no major peaks, but regional surprises—Japan, ANZ, Germany, and Brazil saw production spikes, while broadcasters continued scaling back commissioning amid shifting business models.
Q1-2025: Production volumes declined 11% compared to Q1-2024. APAC fell by 12%, EMEA by 23%, while the Americas remained stable. Incentive programs in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and select Latin American markets are reshaping production and post-production flows. APAC remains promising, with growth in India, Indonesia, and Japan.
Insights on Production Transaction Volumes
March 25 vs. February 25
Methodology: Vitrina monitors unreleased and in-motion projects worldwide across all stages of the content lifecycle—development, production, post-production, and release—on a daily basis. We track various transactions and deal activities related to content financing, commissioning, co-productions, and green-lighting, as well as early-stage (content development) and late-stage (licensing) activities. These transactions between production houses, distributors, streamers, and broadcasters provide valuable insights into industry trends, key players, buyer behavior, and the specializations of production companies. Our monthly Film + TV Productions chart serves as a key indicator of production financing and overall industry health.
Below are the key highlights for March Film+TV Production Volumes:
- Global Production Trends: Production activity declined by 8% compared to February. APAC saw a sharper 28% decrease, though its lower contribution minimized the overall impact. EMEA and the Americas each recorded a modest 5% drop.
- Genre and Language Trends: Drama remained the dominant genre, followed by Comedy. English-language productions accounted for 50% of projects, with German and Japanese productions following.
- Top Players Overall: Netflix, ITV & BBC led commissioning activity, unveiling a strong slate of upcoming series and films. Notable trends included season renewals and Netflix’s continued expansion into Spanish-language programming.
- Within EMEA:
-
Co-productions declined, but book adaptations increased.
-
German companies ramped up commissioning, boosting German-language content.
-
ITV expanded its projects, while Netflix and BBC maintained steady output.
- Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA re-entered commissioning, while Channel 4 and Prime Video reduced their deals.
-
- Within APAC:
-
New project commissions declined
- Japanese productions surpassed English as the most commissioned language.
- Scripted content accounted for 92% of total commissions.
- Japan led regional growth, followed by South Korea, while India and Indonesia saw declines.
-
- Within AMERICAS:
- Production saw a slight decline, but pilot orders increased.
- Fox Network, ABC, and FX Networks led pilot orders.
- A+E Global Media (formerly A+E Networks) shifted focus from pay-TV to digital platforms and global licensing, driving a wave of new commissions.
Stay ahead of the competition by tracking the latest production trends and market moves.
March 2025 Season Renewals: Shifting Dynamics Across Regions
Season renewals have been a cornerstone for both streamers and broadcasters, offering a reliable strategy for sustaining viewer engagement and ensuring operational stability across production and post-production. By securing ongoing content pipelines, renewals help streamline workflows, optimize resource allocation, and minimize the risks associated with launching entirely new projects. This continuity not only strengthens audience loyalty but also enhances efficiency across the entire content supply chain.
Regional Insights – March 2025:
- APAC:
- Renewals rose 16%, led by Japanese anime and scripted content.
- India and Japan secured stronger renewal deals, reflecting growing demand.
- EMEA:
- Netflix, ZDF, and Fox Network, active in February, scaled back in March.
- ITV increased renewals, while Channel 4 remained stable.
- Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA re-entered with new deals.
- English and German content, along with reality programming, retained prominence.
- Americas:
- A+E Global Media led renewals after being absent in February.
- Netflix experienced a slight decline, while Discovery Channel and Fox Network were inactive.
- Nickelodeon re-entered the renewal space.
- Reality overtook Drama as the leading genre for renewals.
Monitor season renewals and adjust your strategy with live insights.
Most Active Film Commissions in the Past 3 Months
Film commissions are playing an increasingly strategic role in the entertainment industry, attracting productions, nurturing local talent, and securing investments across filming, post-production, and animation. Their initiatives have driven economic growth, strengthened creative ecosystems, and fostered industry collaborations.
Amidst an industry downturn, many commissions—along with national entertainment bodies—have ramped up efforts to support employment, early-stage projects, and emerging creators. To stay competitive, governments have revamped tax incentives, introduced cash grants, and expanded cashback schemes while leveraging major trade events to position their markets as global production hubs.
Let’s explore the key film commissions that are making a decisive impact on the industry today.
| Sr. No | Film Commission /
Trade Body |
Location |
| 1 | Doha Film Institute | Doha, Qatar |
| 2 | FilmFernsehFonds Bayern | Munich, Germany |
| 3 | Screen Australia | Sydney, Australia |
| 4 | Screen NSW | Sydney, Australia |
| 5 | Film i Väst | Trollhattan, Sweden |
Based on Project Volume Transactions from January 2025 – March 2025.
Curious how Vitrina can help you? Try it out today!
Vitrina + Sohonet Study – Q2 2025 Industry Outlook
Vitrina A.I. and Sohonet have recently teamed up to better understand where the global Film+TV production ecosystem is heading this quarter (Q2). Together, we conducted an industry sentiment study by polling leaders and experts across 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗙𝗫—to see how they’re viewing Q2 compared to last quarter, last year, and even pre-pandemic norms.
The results suggest a mix of cautious optimism and strategic recalibration.
- 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟭: 55% of respondents expect to be busier in Q2 2025 vs Q1—a clear shift toward proactive production rebuilding.
- 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟮: Production-side leaders are the most optimistic, with nearly 2 out of 3 expecting increased activity compared to the previous quarter.
- 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟯: While still recovering, post-production and VFX vendors are beginning to prep for an expected rise in demand, albeit with a lag from productions.
While the sentiment points to a gradual rebound, Vitrina’s Global Production Tracker reflected a similar outlook, with a steady pace of production activity this month and early signs of momentum emerging in Development projects.
| Industry Sentiments On Growth for Q2’25 | |
| ProdCos & Streamers | Post Production & VFX |
 |
 |
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