By Mark Sweney
Publication Date: 2026-05-09 11:00:00
Hollywood blockbusters, including the highly anticipated Beatles biopics, and big-budget television series such as Bridgerton are keeping Britain’s film and television studios overcrowded.
But as the streaming wars recalibrate after passing “Peak TV,” a slowdown in the content arms race is leading real estate developers to pivot to building data centers amid the AI boom.
When the British Film Institute (BFI) reports figures later this year on the number of films and high-end TV shows produced in the UK in 2025, it is expected to record a third consecutive annual decline.
“The peak of TV production is now behind us,” says a senior industry executive. “The great British studio building boom is officially over. Property companies thought it would be a huge success to ride the wave; now data centers are the new studios.”
Four years ago, the industry reached its television peak when the streaming wars brought record spending of £7.8 billion on UK-made productions.
