Researches Symbola

2024 Audiovisual Activities: Data on Business and Employment

Symbola Foundation | October 2025

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The 2023-2024 Business Register Entry/Exit Rates

The dynamics of business entries and terminations (so-called “ex officio exits”) show a ratio of start-ups to closures favoring the latter, with a constant ratio from 2022 onward of approximately 0.8 companies born for each company ceased.

Relationship between entries and ex-officio exits in the audiovisual supply chain
Years 2021-2024 (companies born for each company ceased)

Source: Symbola Foundation elaboration on Infocamere data

Regarding business registrations1, in 2023, there were 351 new businesses in the audiovisual supply chain sector, a figure 16 units higher than that of 2022, with a relative ratio better than that of all companies (+4.6% compared to +3.3%).

1 Registration at the Chamber of Commerce Business Register is a mandatory “one-off” administrative procedure defined at the start of a company. It consists of two phases: the first, where a digitally signed application is submitted electronically within 30 days of the activity’s start; the second, where the application is verified and proceeds to registration.

Entries and ex-officio exits in the audiovisual supply chain
Years 2021-2024 (absolute values) 

REGISTRATIONS

AtecoDescription Ateco2021202220232024Diff. 24/23
5911Theatrical, video & TV production activities293238252245-7
5912Theatrical, video & TV post-production activities6081688113
5913Theatrical, video & TV distribution activities3573-4
5914Exhibition activities1444106
6020TV programming & broadcasting activities1244128
TOTAL AUDIOVISUAL CORES38233233535116
TOTAL COMPANIES332,596312,564312,050322,83510,785

EX OFFICIO TERMINATIONS

AtecoDescription Ateco2021202220232024Diff. 24/23
5911Theatrical, video & TV production activities246276320312-8
5912Theatrical, video & TV post-production activities235243474
5913Theatrical, video & TV distribution activities6101413-1
5914Exhibition activities273627303
6020TV programming & broadcasting activities102019267
TOTAL AUDIOVISUAL CORES3123944234285
TOTAL COMPANIES246,009264,546270,011285,97915,968

Source: Symbola Foundation elaboration on Infocamere data

In 2024, the ex-officio exits2 were 428, in line with 2023 (5 more), and a much lower proportion than for the overall economic activities (+1.2% compared to +5.6%).
The sector with the best results in terms of entry/exits is that of theatrical, video & TV post-production, where the 47 terminations in 2024 are contrasted with 81 new entries (1.72 ratio). In the other cases, the entry ratio is always negative: 0.79 in theatrical, video & TV production; 0.46 in TV programming and broadcasting; 0.33 in film screening; and 0.23 in theatrical, video & TV distribution.

2 Ex-officio exits are “effective” terminations, i.e., not due to a purely administrative cancellation (linked to the cleaning of archives by the Chambers of Commerce).

Ratio between registrations and ex-officio exits in the audiovisual supply chain by sectors
Year 2024 (entries/exits)

Source: Symbola Foundation elaboration on Infocamere data

In 2024, registrations of post-production, TV programming & broadcasting, and exhibition businesses increased compared to 2023, while registrations in production and distribution decreased.
The increase in business terminations primarily affected TV programming & broadcasting activities, as well as post-production and exhibition activities, whereas terminations decreased for theatrical, video & TV production and distribution.


Among the Italian regions, the following stand out for their registration ratios exceeding terminations: Trentino-Alto Adige (+1.75), Calabria (+1.60), Marche (+1.38), Apulia (+1.27), and Veneto (+1.18).
Sardinia, Basilicata, and Umbria recorded an equal number of new business registrations and closures. In contrast, the regions with the most significant decline—where closures far outnumbered new companies (well below the national rate of 0.82)—were Campania and Valle d’Aosta (both at 0.5), Lazio (0.46), Abruzzo (0.38), and Molise (0.33).


In absolute terms, entries have increased significantly in Lombardy (+17.0: 94 in 2024 and 77 in 2023), in Trentino-Alto Adige (+16.0, with an extremely positive assessment: 28 in 2024 compared to 12 in 2023), and in Veneto (+7.0: 26 in 2024 compared to 12 in 2023). The results for Lazio
(-14.0: 46 in 2024 compared to 60 in 2023) and Tuscany (-8.0: 16 in 2024 compared to 24 in 2023) are negative.


Business terminations have increased significantly in Lombardy (+12.0: 97 in 2024 compared to 85 in 2023), while they have decreased significantly in Apulia (-14.0: 15 in 2024 compared to 29 in 2023) and Lazio (-8.0: 99 in 2024 compared to 107 in 2023).

Ratio between registrations and ex officio exits in the audiovisual supply chain by region
Years 2024 (entry/exits)

Source: Symbola Foundation elaboration on Infocamere data

Business registrations in the audiovisual supply chain in Italian regions
Years 2021-2024 (absolute values)

Regions2021202220232024Diff. 24/23
Piedmont22322924-5
Aosta Valley1031-2
Lombardy8278779417
Trentino-Alto Adige1810122816
Friuli-Venezia Giulia712572
Veneto272519267
Liguria846115
Emilia-Romagna292721210
Tuscany14212416-8
Umbria3363-3
Marche10119112
Latium62486046-14
Abruzzo8763-3
Molise01110
Campania42181613-3
Apulia201012197
Basilicata1121-1
Calabria79880
Sicily17811110
Sardinia4787-1
ITALY38233233535116


Source: Symbola Foundation elaboration on Infocamere data

Business terminations in the audiovisual sector in Italian regions
Years 2021-2024 (absolute values)

Regions2021202220232024Diff. 24/23
Piedmont162426271
Aosta Valley12220
Lombardy6082859712
Trentino-Alto Adige121014162
Friuli-Venezia Giulia449112
Veneto182922220
Liguria388135
Emilia-Romagna182620222
Tuscany242921265
Umbria6343-1
Marche412781
Latium818610799-8
Abruzzo413484
Molise20132
Campania21203126-5
Apulia16142915-14
Basilicata1141-3
Calabria66550
Sicily10212017-3
Sardinia54473
ITALY3123944234285


Source: Symbola Foundation elaboration on Infocamere data