What can Producers expect? An analysis of Marketplace contributions to budget

Screen Australia acknowledges when producers are putting together finance plans for film and television projects, having a clear and realistic understanding of the level of marketplace participation and financing support is crucial.

To assist Australian producers in benchmarking marketplace expectations, Screen Australia’s Market & Audience team analysed 197 projects – 119 Feature Films, 59 Adult TV drama and 19 Children’s TV drama – from applications submitted to Narrative Content Production between January 2023 and October 2025.

This aggregated data analysis provides insights into the current financing trends across the Australian screen sector regarding the participation and financing contribution from the Australian and Rest of World (ROW) market.

The review of Distribution Advances (DAs), Minimum Guarantees (MGs), presales, and the level of gap financing secured, provides a comprehensive view of how projects have been financed both here and globally, demonstrating that the Australian screen industry remains highly dependent on layered financing structures.

Across both Feature film and Television, the findings demonstrate that marketplace finance remains a critical component of Australian screen production financing, but is rarely sufficient as a standalone source of funding. Marketplace contributions are typically strongest for projects with clear commercial and international appeal, reinforcing the importance of realistic financing expectations and the ability to combine multiple funding sources and marketplace partnerships to successfully finance projects.

Screen Australia’s Analysis

• Marketplace contribution to budget – Feature Film
• Marketplace contribution to budget – Television