Commercial television broadcasters poured $1.625 billion into Australian programming in FY25, and exceeded Australian content quotas in 2025, according to two ACMA reports released today.
Almost nine in every ten programming dollars went to Australian content, with spend holding firm on the previous year despite a tough market. That includes around $377 million on the news Australians rely on, plus live and free sport, entertainment, drama and documentaries across metropolitan, regional, and remote Australia.
The quotas weren’t just met – they were left well behind. Networks averaged 74 per cent Australian content on their main channels, and on multichannels, networks delivered up to four times the required 1,460 hours.
Every network also met the first release quota, broadcasting almost 490 hours of new Australian programs and films, including RFDS, Scrublands, Ghosts Australia, The Imposter and Home & Away.
It’s why Australians value free TV so highly. Deloitte Access Economics’ Towards a More United Nation report found 78 per cent of Australians say commercial TV creates shared experiences in their communities.
“We are incredibly proud of these results,” said Free TV CEO Bridget Fair. “No one invests in Australian stories like Free TV broadcasters. The same news bulletin, the same grand final, the same Aussie drama – watched together right across the country, and free for everyone. That’s what makes free TV a shared civic space – all funded by advertising, while global streamers and AI platforms don’t even come close to our contribution.”
“Free television is cultural infrastructure, and it can’t be taken for granted,” Ms Fair said. “As the Government consults on the future of free TV, it’s time to back the broadcasters who back Australian stories – by protecting our content from AI theft, fixing competition failure in ad tech, and guaranteeing free, universal access for the 20 million Australians who watch every week.”
ENDS
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