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Profile 2025: An Economic Report on the Screen-Based Media Production Industry in Canada

April 20, 2026

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PROFILE 2025

Profile 2025 is the annual economic report prepared by Nordicity for the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and its various project partners The CMPA’s project partners include the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM).

Profile 2025 provides an analysis of economic activity in Canada’s screen-based media production industry during the period of April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. It also provides comprehensive reviews of the historical trends in production activity between the fiscal years of 2015/16 and 2024/25.

The complete report is available in English and French at https://cmpa.ca/profile.

TOTAL FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION IN CANADA

The film and television production industry in Canada consists of four key segments: Canadian Television Production segment, Canadian Theatrical Feature Film Production, Foreign Location and Service Production (FLS), and Broadcaster In-house Production

Here are the topline figures for 2024-2025 at a glance:

Total production volume in the Canadian film and television industry increased by 4.6 per cent to $10.17 billion in 2024/25. This growth was driven by a 9.5 per cent increase in foreign location and services (FLS) production, reaching $5.3 billion. Broadcaster in-house production also rose by 5.4 per cent, principally as a result of additional spending by CBC/Radio-Canada related to its coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

In many ways, the increases in production activity represent a rebound, in part, from the significant decreases experienced in 2023/24. In that year, production volume was negatively impacted by the two lengthy labour strikes in the United States and Canadian broadcasters having caught up on their programming underspend during the COVID pandemic. However, this rebound has not returned volumes back to post-pandemic highs, as content commissioning significantly increased in that two-year period but has since come down. Examined over a longer ten-year timeline, production activity in 2024/25 resumes a growth trend seen prior to the disruptive pandemic period, especially in relation to FLS production.

At the same time as growth resumes in the FLS space, data shows Canadian broadcaster revenues continuing to decline, along with their expenditures on Canadian programming. Project green lights are becoming increasingly difficult to secure, raising concerns about the commissioning of content in the years ahead.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN PRODUCTION (FIIP)

Foreign investment in production (FIIP) tracks the value of international financial participation in the film and television production industry in Canada. A major portion of that investment is FLS production. However, along with FLS production, significant investments are also made in the production of Canadian content. These types of investments include presales and distribution advances for Canadian content projects that are exported and distributed in foreign markets.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Foreign investment in Canadian content increased slightly to $864 million in 2024/25.
  • Meanwhile, FLS production increased by $461 million, to $5.3 billion, making up 86% of FIIP.

FIIP excludes the amount of revenue earned from the distribution of completed Canadian films and television programs to foreign broadcasters and distributors. However, the latest data published by Statistics Canada indicates that these sales of completed content generated $126 million in 2023, meaning that foreign investments in Canadian content were worth over $1 billion.

FOREIGN LOCATION AND SERVICE (FLS) PRODUCTION IN CANADA

The foreign location and service (FLS) production segment is primarily comprised of films and television programs filmed in Canada mainly by foreign producers with the involvement of Canadian-based service providers. This includes the visual effects (VFX) work done by Canadian VFX studios for foreign films and television programs.

Canada has also become a destination for the filming of many television series commissioned by US studios, networks or subscription video on demand (SVOD) services. Some recent series include the latest seasons of IT: Welcome to Derry, The Last of Us, Doc and Happy Face.

In recent years, Canada’s FLS production segment has also contributed to numerous films released globally. Some recent Hollywood films that have either been shot in Canada or had their VFX work done in Canada include Frankenstein, Tron: Ares and Final Destination Bloodlines.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The total volume of FLS production in Canada increased by 9.5% from $4.86 billion to $5.32 billion.
  • This growth was driven by the total volume of FLS television series production increasing by 12.1% to $3.42 billion and the total volume of other FLS television production increasing by 54.4% to $366 million.
  • The total increase was slightly offset by a decrease of 2.2% in the total volume of FLS feature film production to $1.54 billion.
  • The vast majority of the volume of FLS production in 2024/25 remained in British Columbia (40%), Ontario (30%) and Quebec (22%).

OTHER KEY CHARTS