TORONTO, May 8, 2024 — The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) today released Profile 2023: An Economic Report on the Screen-based Media Production Industry in Canada. Among the annual report’s topline findings: between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, the media production sector in Canada contributed $14.05 billion to Canada’s GDP, generated $12.19 billion in production volume, and created nearly 240,000 jobs. A summary of the topline findings, along with the full report, can be found on the CMPA’s website.

While the numbers in today’s report reflect significant economic activity, the CMPA cautioned that these figures may represent a high-water mark for production activity in Canada that is now receding.  

“The numbers released in Profile 2023 today are more of a happy memory, than a reflection of the current state of the sector,” noted CMPA President and CEO, Reynolds Mastin. “We remain hopeful that the industry will again ramp up to these levels and beyond.”

Profile draws on lagging economic indicators that reflect production activity from just over a year ago. During that period, domestic production volumes were influenced by a post-COVID “catch up” period, which saw Canadian broadcasters commissioning projects in order to meet regulatory obligations they were unable to achieve during the pandemic. Similarly, foreign production, consisting almost exclusively of American projects shooting in Canada, were also elevated following a pandemic lull.

Critically, numbers in today’s Profile report do not reflect the impact of strikes by American writers and actors last year, nor the significant reduction in commissioning of Canadian productions currently facing the domestic sector. Last month, a separate report from Ontario Creates included findings which illustrate the current slowdown facing the sector. Furthermore, Profile data for original French-language Canadian film and TV production already point to a downward trend of 3.3 per cent in 2022-23 compared to 2021-22.

In an effort to align more closely with real-time production activity, the CMPA and its partners are exploring the possibility of shifting the release date of future Profile reports. Information about any revisions to Profile’s reporting period or release date will be communicated well in advance, on the CMPA’s website.

This latest edition of CMPA’s annual economic report is compiled by Nordicity, and developed in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Telefilm Canada and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM).

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ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production, and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. For more than 75 years, the CMPA has worked to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

For more information:
Gamiela Fereg
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications, CMPA
gamiela.fereg@cmpa.ca