The television industry in the United Kingdom is one of the country’s biggest success stories, particularly when it comes to exports.
According to recent research from Betway Casino, the UK TV sector generated $1.97 billion in overseas sales last year.
The United States is the UK’s leading export market, producing revenue of $649 million during the same period.
Australia, Canada and France are other lucrative markets for the UK, while sales in Latin America and Asia are also increasing.
The latter two regions upped their TV exports by 13 and 15 percent respectively, with the rise in popularity of streaming services helping to power the growth.
A diverse range of programmes contribute to the UK’s success, with Downton Abbey, Planet Earth and Doctor Who amongst the most popular.
Light entertainment shows such as Love Island and Come Dine With Me have also been a hit with overseas audiences, but there have been a few noteworthy flops.
The Inbetweeners, Skins and Broadchurch were all hugely popular in the UK, but failed to resonate with foreign viewers.
However, there have been several examples of hit UK shows that have performed even better in overseas markets.
For instance, The Office (US) initially matched the UK’s original script but was soon handed an Americanised storyline to appeal to the local market.
The show eventually ran for 201 episodes over nine seasons, outstripping the UK version in terms of critical acclaim and longevity.
The American version boasts an impressive 8.9 star rating on IMDb, putting it ahead of its UK counterpart with 8.5 stars.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is another show that found favour with the US public, with the latest version still attracting excellent viewing figures for a quiz show.
The 2020 reboot secured an average of 5.6 million viewers and finale audience of 6.5m. This topped the average of 5.06m viewers who watched the 2018 series in the UK.
The Great British Bake Off and Top Gear are amongst the other popular UK shows that have enjoyed success on a global scale.
British period dramas are also a hit with international markets, while crime series such as Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Midsomer Murders keep the cash tills ringing.
This trend has been forecast to continue for the foreseeable future, with analysts predicting a further spike in revenues over the next few years.
The UK’s entertainment and media revenue is projected to rise to more than $120bn by 2025, which will have a positive impact on export sales.
Although Brexit may cause a dip in exports to Europe, this will be more than compensated by increases elsewhere.
Rising global subscriptions for video on demand services in key growth markets will help to ensure that the UK TV industry will continue to ride the crest of a wave.
Brazil and China are just two of the countries that have been showing more interest in UK TV shows in recent times, and experts have predicted that many more will join them in the next few years.