1.3 Foreign investment in production
Overview of the screen sector in Canada
Foreign investment in production (FIIP) tracks the value of international financial participation in the film and television production industry in Canada. A major portion of that investment is FLS production. However, along with FLS production, significant investments are also made in the production of Canadian content. These types of investments include presales and distribution advances for Canadian content projects that are exported and distributed in foreign markets.
Foreign investment in Canadian content increased slightly to $864 million in 2024/25. Meanwhile, FLS production increased by $461 million, to $5.3 billion, making up 86% of FIIP.
The vast majority of FIIP is generated by English-language content. In fact, out of the $864 million in FIIP generated by Canadian content in 2024/25, French-language content accounted for only $26 million (Canadian distributors $19 million + Foreign pre-sales and advances $7 million), or 2.8% (see data found in Exhibit 5 - 1c).
FIIP excludes the amount of revenue earned from the distribution of completed Canadian films and television programs to foreign broadcasters and distributors. However, the latest data published by Statistics Canada (and found in Section 9) indicates that these sales of completed content generated $126 million in 2023, meaning that foreign investments in Canadian content were worth over $1 billion.
Exhibit 1-5 a) Foreign investment in film and television production in Canada, by Canadian content and FLS production
Source:
Estimates based on data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, and the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding. See Notes on methodology for the definition of FIIP. Excludes ‘online-first’ Canadian audiovisual production; see Box 1 for definitions and statistics.
Foreign investment in film and television production in Canada, annual growth 2024/25
| 2023/24 ($) Total | Growth ($M) 2024/25 | Growth (%) 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign location and service (FLS) | 4,861 | 461 | 9.5 |
| Canadian content | 857 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Total | 5,717 | 469 | 8.2 |
Source:
Estimates based on data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, and the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding. See Notes on methodology for the definition of FIIP. Excludes ‘online-first’ Canadian audiovisual production; see Box 1 for definitions and statistics.
FLS television production grew significantly in 2024/25, growing by 15.1% or $497 million. Canadian television and Canadian theatrical feature film also increased by 0.3% and 5.0%, respectively. While FLS feature film decreased by 2.2%.
Exhibit 1-5 b) Foreign investment in film and television production in Canada, by segment and type
Source:
Estimates based on data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, and the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding. See Notes on methodology for the definition of FIIP. Excludes ‘online-first’ Canadian audiovisual production; see Box 1 for definitions and statistics.
Foreign investment in film and television production in Canada, by segment and type, annual growth 2024/25
| 2023/24 ($) Total | Growth ($M) 2024/25 | Growth (%) 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLS television | 3,290 | 497 | 15.1 |
| FLS feature film | 1,570 | -35 | -2.2 |
| Canadian television | 753 | 2 | 0.3 |
| Canadian theatrical feature film | 103 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 5,717 | 469 | 8.2 |
Source:
Estimates based on data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, and the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding. See Notes on methodology for the definition of FIIP. Excludes ‘online-first’ Canadian audiovisual production; see Box 1 for definitions and statistics.