Sky commissioned Public First and Oxford Economics to determine Sky’s economic and cultural contributions to the UK and better understand how the British public’s viewing habits are changing. The report also identifies opportunities for growth in the broadcast and entertainment sector and sets out policy priorities to take advantage of these.

Key findings

• In 2022, Sky contributed an estimated £20 billion to UK GDP and supported over a quarter of a million jobs.
• Half of British adults are more likely to watch a TV show if it is set in the UK, and 45% say they particularly enjoy the British sense of humour. 
• The UK media and entertainment sector has the potential to be worth an additional £10bn a year by 2033. International demand for British content is also set to grow by 50% by 2033. International popularity  will have spillover effects for the economy, including a projected £2bn boost for British tourism.
• The five key  policy priorities for creative success:  Innovation Impact Assessments for all new regulation; Expand the scope of the Apprenticeship Levy; maintain the AV tax framework; proactively support production studio infrastructure; launch a national IP roadmap.

Methodology

The report draws on a mixture of data,  including consumer polling and population segmentation conducted by Public First to analyse viewing patterns,  and ONS data on total output, GVA and exports combined with consumer segmentation to assess potential future growth in the sector. Full details of the methodology can be found at the end of the report.

The findings of this report have been featured in the Financial Times.