Driving Economic
Growth

Global studios and streamers have been the driving factor behind the expansion of the entire Canadian audiovisual production sector. In recent years, the emergence of online streaming has fueled significant growth in audiovisual production in Canada, led by increasing investments by global partners. Today, Foreign Investment in Production (FIIP) accounts for over $7.8 billion, with the majority spent making world-class productions in Canada, and $1 billion spent financing Canadian-owned projects.

As production levels from global studios have increased 285% over the last decade, so too have opportunities for Canadian creative workers. Now, when global partners bring productions to Canada, the vast majority of jobs go to Canadian workers.

Accounting for more than half of total audiovisual production, television and streaming production investment across Canada, global studios and streamers generate almost 60% of total income paid to Canadian creative workers, with global production fuelling employment at a rate three times higher than that of domestic production over the 2012-22 period.

In 2022/23 global studio projects like The Good Doctor, Fargo and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and more contributed to a total of $6.86 billion volume in Foreign Location Service (FLS) production across the country, an increase of 2.3% from the previous year, and supported the employment of over 137,000 Canadian creative workers.

In 2022, MPA studios alone spent more than $4.8 billion on local production-related goods and services across Canada. From catering to construction supplies, accommodations, local rentals, transportation and more, their productions supported 38,965 businesses in communities from coast to coast.

To learn more about the economic contribution of film and television production in Canada read our highlights from Profile 2023: Economic Report on the Screen-Based Media Production Industry in Canada here. 

Production Across Canada

What We Do In The Shadows Brings Fang-Tastic Spike to Ontario’s Economy with Over $33 Million Spent on Fourth Season

Paramount’s Joe Pickett Brings $38.7 Million Boost to Alberta’s Economy

The Last of Us the Largest Series Ever Filmed in Canada with Over $141 Million Spent Across Alberta

Paramount Pictures’ Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Transforms Quebec Economy With Over $150 Million Spent Across the Province

Peter Pan & Wendy Sprinkles Pixie Dust from Coast to Coast with More Than $170 Million Spent Across Canada

Sonic Sequel Returns to BC with $41.32 Million Boost to Local Economy

Second Season of The Umbrella Academy Floods Ontario Economy with $77.3 Million in Spending

Superman & Lois Make BC Economy Soar With More Than $95 Million Spent on First Season

ANTLERS Makes BC Economy Jump $16.7 Million

Sonic the Hedgehog Spins Up Over $37.5 Million for BC Economy

Playing with Fire Heats up BC Economy, Sparking over $19.5 Million in Production Spending

Star Trek: Discovery on an Economic Mission for Ontario, Spending over $257 Million in just Two Seasons

Warner Bros.’ IT CHAPTER TWO Scares up a Hair-Raising $56.4 Million for Ontario’s Economy

Twentieth Century Fox / Marvel’s Dark Phoenix a Cosmic Force for Quebec, Powering Local Economy with more than $189 Million

ABC Studios’ A Million Little Things Brings Big Benefits to BC Economy, Spending over $27 Million in First Season

New Line Cinema/DC’s Shazam! Supercharges Ontario’s Economy, Spending over $55 Million on Production

First Three Seasons of Warner Bros. Television’s Riverdale  Injected more than $103 Million in the BC Economy, Creating over 1,785 Local Jobs

FX’s The Strain has an Eye Opening Impact on Ontario’s Economy Spending over $50 Million and Creating 800 Jobs in Fourth Season of Production

Twentieth Century Fox’s Deadpool Returns to British Columbia to Make A Great Second Impression: Bringing Even Bigger Returns to the Provincial Economy

HBO Brings Classic Novel to Life As Fahrenheit 451 Heats Up Ontario’s Economy

Universal Television’s The Bold Type spent $20 million in Québec and created over 350 jobs

Universal Cable Productions‘ Channel Zero a huge boost to Manitoba’s economy in the first two seasons 

Warner Bros. Television’s Riverdale is a hit for British Columbia’s economy, spending over $60 million and creating over 1,000 jobs in two seasons of production. 

Warner Bros. It Hired 1,255 Cast and Crew Over 60 Days of Filming, spent more than $28.9 million in Ontario 

Twentieth Century Fox’s War for the Planet of the Apes contributed over $81 million to the BC Economy

Universal Cable Productions’ Eyewitness created an economic wave in Northern Ontario, production spending reached close to $30 million and created over 400 jobs in one season 

Warner Bros. Arrow a huge hit for British Columbia’s economy, spending over $360 million and creating over 7,000 jobs 

Warner Bros. Suicide Squad spent over $80 million, boosting Ontario’s economy

Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Bad Robot’s Star Trek Beyond spent over $69 million in British Columbia and created 3,925 jobs

Premier Wynne, Mayor Tory, The Mark Gordon Company and ABC Studios announce production of two TV series set to film in Toronto

Production of Twentieth Century Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse spent over $105 million in Québec

Huge economic boost for British Columbia from Warner Bros. Television’s Supernatural, spending over $500 million and 9,500 jobs created 

Production of ABC’s Once Upon a Time generates over 5,500 jobs, results in spending of over $275 Million, and creates a boost in local tourism in British Columbia

Production of NBCUniversal’s Suits creates over 2300 jobs in Ontario with spending over $100 Million

Industry Studies

Canadian Media Producers Association – Profile 2023 – Economic Report on the Screen-based Media Production Industry in Canada