Screen Australia's Screen Currency 2026 Report: Rebuilding Audience-Content Connection

Screen Australia released its Screen Currency 2026 report earlier this month, revealing that while Australian audiences value local screen content, discoverability challenges prevent them from consuming it as often as they'd like. In a public Q&A, Screen Australia staff, including CEO Deirdre Brennan, Director of Strategy and Insights Adrian Coates, and Director of First Nations Strategy Rachel Perkins, discussed the report's findings and the agency's future strategy. The report highlighted a 'generational divide' in viewing habits and the precariousness of small businesses in the industry. To address these issues, Screen Australia has established two pillars: 'business models' and 'patterns within audiences'. Coates emphasized that 'discoverability is as important as creation' and that the agency must 'rebuild the connection between the audience and the content'. The report also noted high international awareness of Australian content, citing hits like Bluey and MasterChef, and the growing games sector with titles like Big Walk and Pro Jank Footy. The agency aims to boost cultural relevancy and commercial sustainability, with Brennan stressing 'cultural specificity' with a 'commercial outlook'. The Q&A also referenced the success of Glitch Productions' The Amazing Digital Circus as a model for direct-to-audience engagement. Screen Australia plans to integrate these lessons into future support and public policy.