Australians clearly have plenty of love for local stories, but a new report from Screen Australia suggests there is a bigger problem lurking beneath the surface.
While audiences continue to place real value on Australian screen content, the research points to a growing challenge when it comes to actually finding it in an increasingly crowded viewing landscape.
Released on Wednesday morning, Screen Currency 2026 is a major new research project examining the cultural, social and economic value of Australian screen and games content, both here and overseas.
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The latest research from Screen Australia, the government agency supporting Australia’s screen industry, looks beyond the number of people watching to examine how local content is being valued and discovered.
More than 13,750 people took part in the Screen Currency research, which brought together audience and industry surveys, focus groups, interviews and analysis across five reports covering the Overview, Audience, Industry, Economic and Global findings.
A 120-page Insights Overview is also available through the Screen Currency website, alongside the full reports.
One of the more telling findings is the gap between what Australians say they want and what they actually end up watching.
While 84% believe access to local screen content is important and 75% are interested in watching more, 60% spend less than 30% of their viewing time on local content, with just 36% saying it is easy to find.
But the research goes further than viewing figures.
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Seventy-one per cent of Australian audiences say they take some form of action after engaging with local content, whether that means discussing a topic, researching it further, recommending it or even changing their behaviour.
Some of the other key findings:
- 67% of Australians say local screen stories support feelings of belonging or make them think about their place and identity as an Australian.
- 95% of revenue earned by Australian games studios comes from overseas.
- 50% of respondents across eight international markets say watching Australian film and TV has increased their interest in visiting Australia.
- 62% of screen production businesses identify co-productions and partnerships as an opportunity to unlock scale and financing.
- $1.6 billion in screen and games exports was recorded in FY 2023/24.
- The sector contributed more than $11 billion to the Australian economy in FY 2023/24 and directly employed nearly 70,000 people in FY 2024/25.
Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan, who leads the government agency supporting Australia’s screen industry (image – Screen Australia)
Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan says the research shows local content continues to matter, but the sector now needs to think just as seriously about reaching audiences as it does about producing content.
“While audience choices become increasingly global and algorithm-led, Screen Currency 2026 confirms local TV, film, direct-to-audience content and games matter deeply to Australians and clearly resonate around the world.”
The report argues that the answer will involve stronger audience relationships, better discoverability and Australian businesses building intellectual property that can deliver value over the long term.
It also points to diversified, multi-channel revenue models and direct-to-audience content as new ways for Australian businesses to reach viewers and retain more value locally.
For a sector increasingly competing for attention across streaming, social media, gaming and short-form platforms, the report’s message is fairly simple: making great Australian stories is only part of the job.
Getting audiences to actually find them may be the next big challenge.
The full Screen Currency 2026 research, including the Overview, Audience, Industry, Economic and Global reports and the 120-page Insights Overview, is available through the Screen Currency website HERE.
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