**London – September 17, 2025** – For the first time ever, streaming services invested more than $1 billion (£850 million) in British TV content last year, according to the latest Pact census, marking a 24% surge in their commissioning spend.
This influx has supercharged the UK's production scene, yet it's fueling a bitter backlash from traditional broadcasters who feel sidelined in their own backyard. As Netflix and its rivals snap up homegrown talent, linear TV giants like Channel 4 are left grumbling about "TV tourists" poaching their nurtured stars —exposing a seismic shift in an industry still reeling from pandemic aftershocks.
The numbers paint a stark picture of dominance. Streamers' £850 million outlay dwarfed the £279 million from non-UK linear networks, a 36% plunge that left overall commissioning revenues stagnant. For context, that's more than Channel 4's entire annual budget for original programming, which has been squeezed amid public funding cuts and rising costs.
British producers, buoyed by the streamer cash, saw revenues tick up 1.3% to £3.6 billion—modest gains that Pact chief executive John McVay likened to a "glass flat" outlook, far from the 5-8% annual growth of the pre-COVID era. Overseas sales of UK shows cratered 26% to a 12-year low of £153 million, as U.S. buyers pivot to their own originals, forcing creators to eye bigger, faster-paying markets abroad.
At the heart of the fray is Netflix's hit series *Adolescence*, a gritty drama co-created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham that became an instant smash. Channel 4 news boss Louisa Compton didn't mince words at the Edinburgh TV Festival, slamming Netflix as "TV tourists" for swooping in after her network had "nurtured" the duo for years through development and smaller projects.
"They come in, take the talent we've developed, and run off with the glory," Compton fumed, highlighting how nurturing doesn't always translate to deep pockets — especially when streamers can greenlight big swings without the bureaucratic hurdles of public service mandates.
Netflix hit back swiftly. Commissioner Mona Qureshi quipped, "I don’t think I’m a tourist — I’ve been around," defending the platform's role in elevating British stories to global audiences. Pact's McVay piled on, accusing Channel 4 of "snarkiness" and "mudslinging" toward the very investors propping up the industry.
"The streamers are not public service broadcasters — they're just not — but they will spend money on brilliant British creatives and independents like Jack Thorne, and we should welcome that," he argued.
He pointed to data showing streamers' "quicker pockets": faster commissions that let talent like Thorne and Graham bypass years of waiting. Channel 4's own commissioning? Only 17% of its program spend went to new projects last year, down 4 points, with 70% funneled to big producers over £70 million in revenue—leaving smaller indies "unable to catch a cold," as McVay put it. Still, he conceded Channel 4's drama spend hit a record 42% across UK broadcasters, a bright spot in a dim landscape.
The grumbling underscores a deeper unease: Britain's storied TV ecosystem, once a global exporter powerhouse, is being reshaped by Silicon Valley's deep pockets. Linear TV, bound by public service remits and shrinking ad revenues, can't match the streamers' firepower or speed. Creators, eyeing sustainability, are flocking to Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ for the "fatter" deals—co-productions that promise scale without the red tape. McVay warned of a "new normal" where flat growth is the baseline, urging reforms like an enhanced high-end TV tax credit to keep domestic drama viable.
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For now, the Brits are sulking, but adaptation is inevitable. The world has changed, and as McVay noted, "There are other people in town." Streamers aren't just funding hits — they're redefining what British TV can be, even if it means traditional gatekeepers like Channel 4 watch from the sidelines. Whether this sparks innovation or erodes cultural sovereignty remains the million-pound question.
