Report: Authors receive just 0.53% of €141bn European AV market
February 4, 2026
The Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA) has published its first annual Flash Report on the European audiovisual market.
The report reveals that audiovisual authors’ royalties collected by SAA members amount to just 0.53 per cent of a sector worth €141 billion, while non-European players capture 89 per cent of streaming and video sharing platforms (VSPs) revenues. While their creativity forms the basis on this vibrant industry, screenwriters and directors face low income, precarious working conditions, fragmented rights and an unfair playing field across the continent.
Barbara Hayes, SAA Chair, commented: “We created the Flash Report because sometimes the numbers speak for themselves. At a glance, it illustrates both the value of the European audiovisual market and the dominance of non-European players. Coupled with data on SAA members’ royalty collections, it’s clear that the equation doesn’t balance out in favour of authors.”
“With reviews of the Copyright Directive and Audiovisual Media Services Directive on the horizon, the AI Act implementation and a European Artists’ Charter in the making, EU policymakers have many opportunities to address the low and fragmented rights’ revenues that screenwriters and directors face across Europe. For audiovisual authors to receive a tiny fraction of the revenues from a thriving cultural and creative sector is unacceptable. This has to change,” added Hayes.