Spain saw a record €5.68bn spend on film and TV production in 2025, a rise of 45% compared to 2022, according to a Spain Film Commission (SFC) study.
The figures are from a new report, Zoom Out, by UK consultancy Olsberg SPI and academic experts from Pablo de Olavide University that was commissioned by the SFC.
Presenting a preview of the report at the San Sebastian film festival this week, Olsberg SPI consultant Kayleigh Hughes said: ”A very clear finding from the research is just how significant the audiovisual sector is becoming in Spain.” The full report will be published later this year.
Olsberg SPI consultant Marta Moretto added that the 45% increase in production spend was a result of sustained public and private investment in the audiovisual sector.
International productions that have recently shot in Spain include Disney’s live-action version of Tangled, Amazon’s Tomb Raider series and Apple TV’s Murderbot series starring Alexander Skarsgård. Venice competition titles Bunker, starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and Nanni Moretti’s It Will Happen Tonight also used Spanish locations.
The figures indicate a levelling-off of production in recent years following a burst of rapid expansion. Direct production spend rose to €5.03bn in 2023, up from €3.93bn in 2022. It then hit €5.71bn in 2024 before easing to €5.68bn in 2025.
Total gross value added (GVA) stood at €4.98bn last year, up 38% since 2022. The figure comprised €2.72bn in direct GVA from production companies, €1.38bn in indirect activity among suppliers and €880m in induced activity generated through workers’ spending.
Hughes highlighted the size of the indirect contribution as evidence of the expanding network of businesses serving productions in Spain. These include accommodation, transport, equipment rental, professional services, supplies and maintenance, with the economic effects extending well beyond companies classified as audiovisual producers.
Production supported an estimated 68,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2025, 20% more than the 56,700 recorded in 2022. Of the latest total, 31,900 jobs were direct, 23,400 indirect and 12,800 induced.
The full study will map the industry’s territorial impact, add case studies and examine social outcomes including employment, diversity and inclusion. It will also assess wider benefits such as screen tourism, cultural visibility, soft power, technological innovation and sustainability.
Hughes noted that European Audiovisual Observatory data showed the number of Spanish national films and co-productions has hit more than 400 annually in recent years.
At the San Sebastian presentation, SFC president Juan Manuel Guimeráns called for improvements to Spain’s incentives not only in their percentage value, but also in procedures, legal certainty and processing times, while warning against changes that could undermine existing strengths.
Guimeráns said: “Our target is the UK. The rest of our competitors are behind us in absolute terms. We are leading within the European Union.”
He warned that proposals for a federal incentive in the United States and changes to incentives in competing territories required continued vigilance.
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