The share of production spending in the United States for a defined group of major-studio TV episodes fell from 94% in 1999 to 64% in 2024, according to a study by EY Quantitative Economics and Statistics (EY QUEST) released by seven entertainment unions. That is a 30-percentage-point drop in the U.S. share—not evidence that total U.S. TV production spending itself fell by 30%.
What the 94% to 64% statistic measures
The figures compare the U.S. portion of production spending for scripted, live-action TV episodes made by major U.S.-based studios and filmed partially or primarily in the United States. The study compares 1999 with 2024. It measures where spending occurred within that defined group, not the total dollar amount spent on U.S. television production.
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In other words, the statistic does not show that U.S. spending fell to 64% of its 1999 dollar value. Nor does it mean that 36% of all studio TV production took place abroad: the category includes episodes filmed partly in the United States, not only productions filmed entirely in one country.
How the other reported TV figures compare
The union release reports changes in three different measures for major-studio TV episodes filmed partially or primarily in the United States. They should not be treated as interchangeable:
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| Measure | 1999 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. share of production spending | 94% | 64% | Down 30 percentage points |
| U.S. share of episodes | 96% | 70% | Down 26 percentage points |
| U.S. share of cast and crew working on those episodes | 86% | 58% | Down 28 percentage points |
All figures are from the 1999–2024 EY QUEST study, released by the unions in 2026. A percentage-point change is the difference between two percentages: 94% minus 64% equals 30 percentage points. It is not the same as saying the share declined by 30%.
Who and what the study covers
The study examines scripted, live-action productions by major U.S.-based studios, including primary filming locations and associated spending and cast and crew. The DGA release says its budget thresholds were at least $5 million for feature films, $1 million for TV episodes shorter than 41 minutes, and $1.7 million for longer TV episodes. The release summary does not provide the full sample construction or calculation methodology, so the results should not be generalized to every U.S. show, studio, or production budget.
Rank #2
The study was conducted by EY QUEST and released on October 5, 2026, by the Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), SAG-AFTRA, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW). It is a union-released study, not a government statistical series.
What the study says about films
The same release reports separate results for major-studio films filmed partially or primarily in the United States. These are film figures, not part of the TV comparison:
| Film measure | 1999 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. share of production spending | 74% | 42% | Down 32 percentage points |
| U.S. share of films | 66% | 54% | Down 12 percentage points |
| U.S. share of cast and crew working on those films | 72% | 43% | Down 29 percentage points |
For the 25 highest-budget films by major U.S. studios, the release says the U.S. share of production spending declined by 40% from 1999 to 2024. That is a separate finding about a selected high-budget group, not the 32-percentage-point change in spending share across the broader film category.
Does this prove Hollywood moved TV production overseas?
The figures indicate that the U.S. accounted for a smaller share of spending, episodes, and cast and crew in the study’s defined set by 2024 than in 1999. They do not, on their own, establish how much production moved to any particular country or why. The release summary does not break down causes, so it cannot establish that streaming—or any other single factor—caused the change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What unions want Congress to do
The unions cite the findings in support of a federal film and television production tax credit. A Los Angeles Times report dated October 6, 2026, said the Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act had been introduced the previous month. As described in that report, the pending proposal would offer a 20% credit on eligible U.S. labor costs, potentially rising to 30% through specified uplifts. Those rates describe a proposal, not an enacted or currently verified tax benefit.
The Times also reported an earlier Motion Picture Association-commissioned forecast that a federal credit could boost U.S. production spending by $125 billion and add more than 143,000 jobs by 2035. That is a projection from a separate industry-commissioned study, not a result of the EY QUEST analysis.
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In the Times report, DGA associate national executive director Rebecca Rhine framed the union concern this way: “Many generations who have made their living in this industry are now having to question whether there’s a future for this industry in the United States.” The DGA release also says the broader industry supports more than two million U.S. jobs; its summary does not give the calculation behind that figure.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Directors Guild of America, October 5, 2026: EY QUEST study release
- Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2026: report on the proposed federal production credit
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