2024 saw Europe hit a record volume of Crime & Thriller commissions from the leading global streamers (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Max/HBO Max, Netflix and Paramount+), reaching 94 titles. Overall, Western Europe accounted for a 43% share of their Scripted first-run TV, season renewals and movie commissions in the Crime & Thriller genre ordered in 2024.

Western Europe’s share has risen from 28% in 2020, and is now more than the North American (NAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions combined. In contrast, North America's share of the streamers’ commissions in the genre has declined, dropping by half over the same period to just 19% of orders in 2024.

Across all genres, global streamers have been increasingly shifting Scripted commissions abroad, with NAM volume share dropping from 55% in 2020 to 31% in 2024. Western Europe has benefited most, securing 29% of their global production orders by 2024 across all Scripted genres. For Crime & Thriller titles, the main beneficiary has been the UK, which matched the US for commissions of new Crime series for the first time in 2024, with 21. 

As an English-speaking territory with a highly skilled workforce, high-end production facilities, and attractive tax incentives, the UK is now a core international production hub for streamers. Among notable upcoming titles ordered for production in 2024 were the UK-produced Netflix/BBC Film co-commissioned movie adaptation of the hit series Peaky Blinders and Season 5 of major Apple hit series Slow Horses.

The Crime & Thriller genre is increasingly a cornerstone of global streamers’ commissioning strategy, surging from 20% share of all their Scripted titles in 2020 to 32% in 2024. This reflects the genre’s broad international appeal and strong cross-household engagement: Crime & Thriller titles consistently dominate viewership charts on platforms like Netflix, with Ampere’s research showing the genre is key to subscriber growth and retention — critical as streaming markets mature.

Given how well the genre travels across borders and demographics, and with rising production costs in the US, it makes sense for the streamers to shift more Originals in this genre beyond North America. Western Europe, with its rich tradition in Crime & Thriller storytelling, and the UK, the streamers’ key international production hub, are leading the way. But as streamers continue to expand their global footprint and seek cost-effective commissioning and production opportunities, we expect other production regions to play more of a role in this genre as well.