The first series of Y Llais, the Welsh version of The Voice that filmed at Dragon Studios, contributed £3.3m in gross value added to the Welsh economy

Welsh-language channel S4C contributed £150.3m to the Welsh economy during 2024-25, and now supports more than 2,500 jobs, according to new research.

The research was carried out by Wavehill – commissioned by S4C – and states that the £150.3m generated is in spite of a real-terms decrease in licence fee funding compared to two years ago, while the jobs-supported figure has increased by more than 370 since the last report in 2022/2023.

The report was presented by S4C chief executive Geraint Evans, on the second day of the Dychmygu’r Dyfodol (Imagining the Future) conference, the first to be held jointly by S4C and TAC, the body that represents Welsh independent production companies.

With filming on the second series of Y Llais (The Voice) set to begin in the coming weeks, the report estimates that the first series contributed £3.3m in gross value added (GVA) to the Welsh economy and created 72 jobs in Wales.

The report’s key findings include:

• For every £1 of licence fee income, £1.59 was returned to the Welsh economy.
• Over three out of every four pounds (£82.2m) was spent on businesses with headquarters in Wales or Wales-based freelancers.
• S4C’s impact was felt across Wales, with 57% of that spend being outside Cardiff, five percentage points higher than in 2022/23.
• From S4C’s supply chain, 93% of employment impacts and gross value added (GVA) was retained in Wales.
• S4C engaged with 1,190 suppliers and 58 distinct sectors in 2024/25, an increase of 213 suppliers since the last report.

The news of the increase comes after S4C recently launched its new strategy, More Than a TV Channel, which prioritises working with its partners to make Wales thrive.

S4C chief executive Evans said: “While our focus is on the future with our recently-launched strategy, this impact report is an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve already achieved at S4C.

“These findings show that S4C is already More Than a TV Channel, with the investments made by S4C, and the wider production sector, critical in unlocking and encouraging full potential of Wales’s creative industries.

“There are strong foundations here on which we can build, as we realise our vision of an S4C that expands viewing with its content, transforms to digital-first and collaborates with its partners to make Wales thrive.”

Welsh Government minister for culture, Jack Sargeant, added: “This report demonstrates the vital role S4C plays in supporting jobs and economic growth across Wales.

“Growing to support over 2,500 jobs whilst returning £1.59 to the Welsh economy for every £1 of licence fee income shows the real value of investment in Welsh language broadcasting, including Welsh Government investment via Creative Wales in facilities such as Aria Studios, and in hit S4C shows like Cleddau, Egin Bach and Hafiach.

“I’m particularly pleased to see spending increasingly reaching communities outside Cardiff, helping to ensure prosperity is spread across the whole of Wales.”