Key Points:
- Scripted TV orders from the top six streamers fell 24 percent during H1 2025, with Amazon posting the steepest cuts.
- Asia-Pacific scripted output dropped 52 percent and Western Europe fell 44 percent.
- Ampere cites reduced investments in original content and economic uncertainty among the key factors for the scripted TV order cuts.
Some of the world’s biggest streaming services reduced their orders for scripted television series during the first half of the year, according to a new report released by Ampere Analysis this week.
Between January and June (H1), six streaming services analyzed by Ampere – Apple TV Plus, Amazon, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix and Paramount Plus — ordered 242 first-run and renewed scripted titles, a 24 percent decline compared to 318 during the same period in 2024. The drop follows a period of growth last year, when scripted orders increased 14 percent during H1 2024 and 5 percent in the second half (H2) of the year.
Ampere said the contraction reflects an industry-wide reassessment of original content investment strategies in the wake of economic uncertainty, changing business models and the lingering impact of the Hollywood strikes in late 2023. Across the wider television industry excluding these subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms, scripted commissions fell by 8 percent, underscoring the deeper pullback among the top six streamers.
All six platforms reduced their scripted output year over year, though the extent varied. Netflix and Apple were least affected, down 6 percent and 4 percent respectively. Amazon Prime Video recorded the sharpest decline, with the streamer cutting its scripted TV orders by more than half.
The reduction was most pronounced in certain regions. In Asia-Pacific, Amazon’s slowdown contributed to a 52 percent drop in regional scripted output, with its India commissions falling to just a handful of titles.
Western Europe saw volumes fall 44 percent, particularly in the Crime & Thriller genre, which was a prior focus of streamers serving that region. In contrast, North America’s scripted output remained flat at 95 titles compared to H1 2024 while Latin America posted a 17 percent increase.
“Several factors underpin the reduction in H1 scripted commissions,” said Cyrine Amor, a research manager at Ampere Analysis. “Primarily, the move reflects the streamers’ ongoing strategic shift in their business models post the era of ‘peak TV’. This is marked by reduced investments in originals, a more cautious approach to commissioning decisions and a heavier reliance on licensing in their content strategies.”
Amor added that the uncertain economic climate and the possibility of new taxes on international productions have added pressure. Ampere’s monthly data showed a brief recovery in April 2025, followed by a dip in May after new movie tariffs were announced. Greater clarity on tariffs and economic conditions could spur a rebound in the H2, Ampere affirmed.
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