Variety: U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy Outlines Prospects for $218 Billion Creative, Sports and Media Sector

Story from Variety:

U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy gathered leaders from over 150 organizations in Manchester on Wednesday to discuss the government’s plans for economic growth in the creative industries, sports, and media sectors.

The event, attended by representatives from Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon Prime Video, BBC, ITV, Sky, News U.K., and numerous cultural institutions, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, marks the first in a series of nationwide engagements planned by ministers in the government’s department of culture, media and sport.

In her first major speech, Nandy emphasized the social and economic potential of these industries, which collectively contribute more than £170 billion ($218 billion) to the U.K. economy and support over four million jobs. The creative industries alone account for £125 billion ($160.5 billion), surpassing sectors like life sciences and automotive manufacturing.

Nandy is part of Keir Starmer’s Labour government that came to power with a landslide mandate earlier this month. “This is the spirit of our new government,” Nandy told attendees at the Science and Industry Museum. She highlighted initiatives including a curriculum review to bolster creative and sports opportunities for children, investments in grassroots sports, and partnerships to boost growing industries such as film, theater and video games.

Nandy also addressed the government’s commitment to ending “politically-driven culture wars,” supporting the television license fee until 2027, and introducing an independent soccer regulator.

Industry leaders expressed support for the government’s vision. Chris Bird, managing director of Prime Video U.K., welcomed the growth ambitions, citing Amazon’s £4 billion investment in U.K. creative industries since 2010. Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery U.K and Ireland and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe underlined the company’s longstanding presence in the U.K. and its commitment to producing British content.

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s leadership welcomed Nandy’s ambitions. “We know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” said executive director Andrew Leveson and co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey in a joint statement. They pointed out the positive impact of arts and culture on individual lives, schools and communities.

The Culture Secretary’s agenda aims to leverage the creative sectors as vehicles for economic growth across all regions of the U.K., with a focus on widening opportunities outside London and fostering partnerships with businesses nationwide.