Freelance Jobs Crisis in the Media Industry: UK and Hollywood at Breaking Point.

The Freelance Jobs Crisis: How the Media Industry Is Failing Its Workforce

The freelance jobs crisis in the media industry has reached a breaking point, impacting thousands of creative professionals globally. From UK production companies to major Hollywood studios, cuts, delays, and uncertainty are driving freelancers out of the industry.

What’s Happening in the UK Freelance TV Market?

In the UK, organisations like BECTU report the sharpest downturn in freelance TV and film work in recent memory. With commissioning freezes, reduced budgets, and delayed greenlights, entire production teams are out of work. Editors, producers, directors, and crew are facing months without income, and many are now leaving the sector entirely.

The Hollywood Slowdown and Its Global Ripple Effects

Across the Atlantic, Hollywood hasn’t bounced back either. After the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, major studios and streamers slashed production slates and tightened budgets. The slowdown in scripted content has affected international suppliers, creating a knock-on effect in freelance markets worldwide.

Why the Media Industry’s Freelance Model Is Under Strain

The industry thrives on flexibility—but without structural support, that flexibility becomes fragility. Freelancers have no safety net, no consistency, and little bargaining power. As streamers and broadcasters shift strategies, freelancers are left behind.

What Can Be Done to Fix the Freelance Jobs Crisis?

This blog exists to ask that question, loudly and clearly. It’s time to rethink how the media industry values—and supports—its freelance workforce. If you’re looking for real-world insight and media industry commentary that doesn’t sugarcoat the crisis, you’re in the right place.

The UK is now the world leader in non-scripted TV format exports, with one-third of global adaptations in 2024 coming from British formats. It’s a headline that reads like a win. But beneath the surface, the truth is harder to stomach: while the formats are travelling, freelance TV jobs are collapsing. Why UK Formats Still Dominate Globally British hits like MasterChef, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and The Voice remain staples across dozens of territories. Newer formats such as The 1% Club and The Piano have also made international waves. What makes them successful? A mix of solid format structure, emotional clarity, and local adaptability. UK producers build formats that are easy to translate—both linguistically and culturally—without losing their core hook. The Role of ITV Studios and Format IP In 2024, ITV Studios led the export charge, leveraging tried-and-tested IP and launching new versions of The Voice, The Voice Kids, and interactive spin-offs. The strategy? De-risk with known hits, then experiment just enough to catch the attention of global buyers. That same pipeline—backed by government creative sector incentives and co-production grants—means over 50 new unscripted formats are already commissioned for 2025. So if the product is thriving, why is the workforce falling apart? The Collapse of Freelance Jobs in Non-Scripted TV Right now, it’s estimated that 55% of the freelance production crew in non-scripted TV are out of work. That’s not a talent shortage—it’s a job shortage. Talented freelancers with years of experience in unscripted content are being overlooked, under-booked, or simply squeezed out. And it’s not just bad timing or the ebb and flow of production cycles. It’s systemic. Ageism in production is no longer subtle. Many over-50s in TV find themselves excluded from opportunity—not because they’ve lost relevance, but because budgets favour cheaper, junior hires and short-term contracts. Two Realities: Export Boom, Workforce Bust There’s a disconnect. On one hand, UK non-scripted TV is a global success story. On the other, freelance TV professionals—editors, producers, floor managers, APs—are being pushed to the margins of their own industry. How can we celebrate format success while ignoring the growing number of freelancers leaving television altogether? Fixing the Freelance Crisis To sustain the UK’s global lead in TV formats, we must address the freelance employment crisis. That means: • Recognising the long-term value of experienced crew • Funding mid-career retraining and upskilling • Creating policies that support freelance continuity and wellbeing • Ensuring that initiatives like Action for Freelancers deliver more than hashtags The strength of UK formats lies not just in great ideas—but in the teams that execute them, time after time, across every market. Final Word The UK’s role as a global leader in non-scripted television should be celebrated. But unless we rebuild trust and opportunity within the freelance workforce, we’re selling success on borrowed time. The next global hit may be British—but will we still have British crews left to make it?

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