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Film Facts & Figures of the Netherlands

Data by the Netherlands Film Fund indicate that Dutch film production activity has risen substantially in 2021. Production budgets together rose with 41% to over 180.8 million euro compared to 2020, reaching a level even higher than the pre-corona year 2019. Due to the extended closure of cinemas and mass home viewing, major shifts took place last year in the Dutch film sector. The most striking one is the continued growth of the streaming and On Demand market. Home entertainment is now responsible for almost 86%* of the total industry turnover. These are key conclusions of the latest Film Facts & Figures of the Netherlands, the annual sector overview of the Netherlands Film Fund.

The Dutch film industry achieved the following results in 2021:

  • Total cinema admissions decreased from 16.8 million to 14.2 million visitors compared to the previous year. Due to cinema’s being closed for a prolonged period and with the explosion of streaming in 2021, the total theatrical box office shrank from €152 million to 142 million, only 14.4% of total industry turnover. Between 2016-2019 the Dutch box office generated about half (47%) of the total industry turnover.
  • The Dutch market share grew from 21.2% to 23.1%, made possible by fewer available American films.
  • Due to the enormously popular Video On Demand services, total Dutch film & audiovisual turnover grew from €731 million to €986 million. Together, SVOD (subscriptions) and TVOD (transactions) generated a record turnover of €822 million. This is 6% of the total sector turnover. SVOD accounts for the bulk of this with €777 million.
  • In 2021, 248 films were released in Dutch cinemas (2020: 340).
  • Dutch film production volume increased substantially from €128.4 million in 2020 to €180.8 million in 2021. A rise of 41% to a level even higher than the pre-corona year 2019. This was enhanced by renewed activity on films of which the production had earlier come to a halt as well as a package of support measures by the Fund.
  • Attendance at the major Dutch film festivals (online & physical) decreased from 723,223 to 645,972 people.
  • And in 2021, 84 Dutch films won awards at various international film festivals (2020:61).

Download here the Film Facts & Figures of the Netherlands, Summer 2022 in PDFformat.

* based on market research (VOD monitor) and estimates. The lack of data transparency and absence of rules and regulations in the Netherlands enable the dominant foreign platforms to share zero data about market share, turnover, catalogue size, Dutch content, number of customers, reach etc. Out of the 50+ VOD platforms operating in the Netherlands only a few very small players like PICL are willing to share data publicly.