SPI’s Impact Study on New Zealand’s Shortland Street Published
Source: Shortland Street Final 2022, South Pacific Pictures
Olsberg•SPI’s (SPI) study, commissioned by South Pacific Pictures, which evaluates the range of impacts of the long-standing New Zealand series Shortland Street has been published.
Shortland Street is a uniquely New Zealand television show that has become a pivotal aspect of the country’s screen sector since its first episode aired in 1992. The study took a multi-pronged approach in evaluating the show’s impact through workforce development, economic and industry impacts, and social and cultural impacts.
The study found that Shortland Street…
- Provides significant employment. In 2021, the show employed 65 core crew staff, 118 crew contractors and over 200 casual crew workers. In the same period, the show provided a platform for over 190 cast, which included 21 core cast members
- Is a key training ground for the industry’s cast and crew. In a survey conducted for the study, 80% of respondents indicated that they developed new or improved creative and technical skills while on the show’s set
- Continues to punch above its weight in terms of overall impact to the sector with its consistency in spend, which was around NZD$20 million a year between 2012 and 2021. Between 2011/12 and 2021/22, the show generated NZD$221 million in Gross Value Added (GVA), including NZD$69 million in direct GVA, NZD$120 million in supply chain, and NZD$32 million in induced impact
- Is notably forward-thinking from the beginning, addressing socially impactful and often controversial topics, including topics such as gender dynamics, sexuality, mental health, suicide, assisted dying, sexual violence, cultural representation, and drug use. Shortland Street has continuously provided a platform for these topics through the shows wide reach.
Download the full report here.
If you would like to hear more about this study, please email SPI’s Emma Openshaw on emma@o-spi.com.
Further information on SPI’s impact studies can be found here.