The BBC’s The Green Planet boosted the UK economy by £7.4 million, according to a new report.
The BBC Bristol Economic Impact Report says the BBC is the largest employer within Bristol’s TV and film industry – accounting for 45% of production section roles in 2022.
Bristol is the base for the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, which produced The Green Planet, and has been behind a series of nature documentaries fronted by Sir David Attenborough. The Natural Histories Unit has been producing natural history programming for 67 years, with programmes like the award-winning Planet Earth III, Frozen Planet II, Dynasties II, and Mammals, which is currently airing on BBC One.
Jonny Keeling, Head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “Bristol is home to the best wildlife filmmakers in the world. It’s the global hub of natural history production and programmes produced here have reached hundreds of millions of people in all corners of the planet.
“Quite simply, content made in Bristol has inspired a global audience to love and understand the natural world; it’s transformed the way an entire generation view and interact with the nature.”
According to the report, natural history production made 44.2% (£127.2m) of the Bristol screen production industry’s overall £288m turnover in 2022 alone. Bristol’s creative sector also rapidly grew by 74% between 2015 and 2020, thanks in part to “the presence of a major broadcaster [the BBC]” in the region, according to the academics at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol).
Other iconic BBC brands that currently call the city home include Countryfile, Antiques Roadshow, The Outlaws and Gardeners’ World.
BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s (NHU) produced The Green Planet (2022) gave £7.4m Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK’s economy between 2019 – 2022.
Wild Isles (2023), produced in Bristol by Silverback Films, gave £9m GVA to the UK economy, supporting 80 equivalent production roles.
