Why Original Drama Still Matters: A Public Service Perspective from Israel

Public service broadcasters tend to prioritize cultural identity, invest strategically in original drama, and significantly reduce their reliance on acquisitions, often fostering partnerships with fellow public broadcasters or streamers. Nevertheless, the EBU’s report on Acquiring Video Content – published earlier this week – shows that fiction is an acquisitions-heavy programme genre with 46% of spend going on acquisitions. This number shows the importance of careful consideration of strategy in fiction acquisitions.

The importance of original drama content is undisputed and applies particularly to PSM, since, unlike commercial networks, public broadcasters are not driven by linear ratings but by their mandate to create cultural resonance and spark public dialogue.