Effective policymaking, investment, and research in the UK screen sector rely on high-quality data. The challenge is that relevant data on film, television, and video games is spread across multiple organisations in varying formats and with varying levels of accessibility, making it difficult to build a clear, consistent picture of the sector.
Alma Economics was commissioned by the British Film Institute (BFI) to map the UK screen sector's data landscape as part of READR, the BFI's Rapid Evidence Assessment and Data Reviews initiative. The project involved a structured review of more than 50 data sources including public statistics, administrative datasets, industry surveys, commercial data, and research reports — assessing each for its sector coverage, thematic focus, geographic granularity, frequency, and accessibility.
The findings were consolidated into a written analytical report and an accompanying Excel-based data map, structured as a searchable tool with sector and topic tags to help users quickly identify relevant datasets.
To complement the mapping exercise, three thematic deep dives examined the data landscape in areas of particular importance to the sector:
The research identified areas where the evidence base is relatively strong alongside areas of fragmentation, inconsistency, and substantive gaps. Four areas for strengthening the data ecosystem were identified:
The project gives the BFI a structured foundation for future data strategy and research investment decisions across the UK screen sector.
Read the full report here and view the data map here
This report is the second in Alma's series of READR reports for the BFI. The first, a position paper on AI rights frameworks, examined how existing codes of practice guide the use of AI and its interaction with copyright and ethics in the screen sector.
