The European audiovisual market and authors' royalties
Publications
February 2026
SAA Flash Report: Authors receive 0.53% of €141B European AV market
4 February 2026
News
Today, the SAA is publishing 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% of a sector worth €141 billion, while non-European players capture 89% 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.
"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."
Barbara Hayes, SAA Chair
Related
Background
Screenwriters and directors are at the heart of the creative ecosystem, yet their royalties vary widely depending on where and how their works are used. When the EU harmonised collective management of retransmission rights in the 1990s, authors' revenues increased. However, this framework does not apply to all types of exploitation. Fragmented legislation means authors cannot receive royalties for all uses of their works across all European markets.
SAA’s 33 member organisations negotiate collective licensing agreements with users such as broadcasters, retransmission operators and streaming platforms, collect royalties and distribute them to the audiovisual authors. This enables fair pay while providing efficient licensing solutions that contribute to market growth.
The first annual SAA Flash Report visualises the evolution of the European audiovisual market and the royalties collected on behalf of the authors.