British broadcasters and streamers blamed them for not helping with the rising costs

According to nearly half of respondents to a UK Pact poll, UK broadcasters and streamers “didn’t understand or try not to help with costs” since the recession hit, with India’s reporting costs up 10% rose 20%.

Some 42% of respondents to industry association Increased Living Costs and Production say they blame broadcasters for not providing the support they need as prices continue to rise.

The BBC was cited as the biggest culprit, with 39% saying the publisher was “unhelpful”, followed by Channel 4 (34%) and Paramount-owned Channel 5 (27%). Netflix was below 20%.

In the networks’ defense, 35% said the opposite, saying they “understand and try to help with costs,” while the rest of those surveyed were somewhere in between.

Pact, which represents hundreds of British Indians, provided one of the clearest examples yet that the cost of living crisis, which is expected to worsen over the next year, is starting to bite, and the issue was raised repeatedly during Content London’s recent month of events.

Manufacturers reported that costs increased by about 10% to 20%, with the vast majority (86%) saying that this had some impact on margin. Around a third said their margins had been reduced by 20%. Of those reporting an impact on margin, London, India (92%) was ahead of non-London India (78%).

Pact chief executive John McVay said the panel “will use this research going forward to support our discussions with government and broadcasters.”

“We knew members were facing higher costs, but this research helped us show the extent to which the cost of living crisis is affecting manufacturing companies in the UK,” he added.

Many cited the rising cost of recruiting on- and off-screen talent as a key impact, along with higher prices for labor, materials and services.

About 40% of respondents said spending on screen talent increased by 10% in the past year, roughly matching the number behind the camera.