New research from Ampere Analysis reveals SVOD services are ahead of the curve in their commission of SVOD content.
The London-based researcher has found between Q1 2019 and Q2 2020, 12 commissioners globally ordered multiple LGBT+ movies or series. 80% of those commissions were destined for on-demand platforms, with public broadcasters such as the BBC and France Télévisions also favouring on-demand delivery for series with LGBT+ themes.
Linear commissioners were more likely to opt for one-off TV specials on LGBT+ topics than commit broadcast slots to long-form series.
To date LGBT+ catalogues are more likely to be US sourced, though Ampere anticipates this will change as international content catches the eye of the commissioners.
Alice Thorpe, Analyst at Ampere Analysis says: “Netflix and Amazon Prime Video’s originals Orange is the New Black and Transparent confirmed the appeal of LGBT+ themed content beyond the LGBT+ community. Now queer content is an expected part of new SVoD services’ offerings, as we’ve seen with newly launched platforms like HBO Max, Peacock and Quibi.”
HBO Max has commissioned as many series about LGBT+ people in the past 12 months as HBO’s portfolio of linear channels have in the past three years. These titles include Comedy Drama series Beth & Sam and Drama Queen.
LGBT+ TV shows on Netflix skew 65% American-produced. On Amazon it’s 58%. One of the reasons for this is likely to relate to the risks associated with producing such content overseas. For instance, recently the Turkish Netflix original If Only was denied filming rights by the country’s government because it featured a gay supporting character.
