British film and TV industries storm ahead with £1.6bn investment
Spend on British film and TV production jumped 13 per cent in 2016 to 1.6bn, in a stellar year for the UK’s creative industries.
Figures from the BFI showed that 48 major UK-based films accounted for 1.35bn of total investment.
Last year’s top three grossing films at the UK box office were all filmed on British soil: Rogue One, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
Cinema-goers continued their love affair with the big screen, as ticket sales hit a second time high of £1.2bn.
Spending on TV production was led by Game of Thrones and the reportedly £100m budget drama The Crown. Overseas companies spent a total of £478m making TV in the UK.
Demand for UK TV from foreign markets was also up, especially in China where sales increased 40 per cent on 2014/2015, according to data from media trade association Pact.
News of the UK’s growing presence in the global entertainment market sets the scene for tonight’s BAFTA awards, which take place in London and feature an award for Best British Film.