The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the television industry, mirroring its impacts across all arts sectors, shutting down or delaying production of television programs in many countries with consequent negative impacts on revenues (through rights and advertising sales) and employment.

Such measures and changes have been done to appeal to mandates for social distancing and stay-at-home orders, as well as commitments by production companies and broadcasters to maintain the safety of all involved in production.

Ampere Analysis projected that the pandemic had delayed at least 60% of scripted television programming worldwide, including at least half of the programming originally scheduled to air in the second half of 2020. There had been a noticeable increase in non-scripted productions—including smaller-scale series capable of being produced remotely—that can be used to fill schedules until scripted programs resume production (noting that audiences may eventually become tired out by pandemic-themed programming).

The animation industry remained largely unaffected, due to the ease of remote work by animators.

Production by region Asia-Pacific Australia

On Network 10, The Project, the seventeenth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia, Studio 10, and the eighth season of Have You Been Paying Attention? suspended their in-studio audiences. Have You Been Paying Attention? was recorded with only Tom Gleisner and a handful of production crew filming the show from the South Yarra studio, with all of the contestants remote working and using videotelephony to enforce social distancing.

The Australian Survivor: All Stars reunion episode filmed without an audience and was hosted by Osher Günsberg, rather than the series' regular host Jonathan LaPaglia, due to travel restrictions. The eighth season of Australian Survivor, set to start filming in Fiji in April, was postponed following the federal government's decision to establish a Level 4 travel restrictions, heavily discouraging international travel (this was later upgraded to an outright ban of international travel). The eighth (Brains V Brawn) and ninth (Blood V Water) seasons of Australian Survivor were eventually filmed in Outback Queensland. Network 10 also changed the race route for the fifth season of The Amazing Race Australia so that it would film only in Australia instead of internationally, but was later postponed due to interstate travel restrictions.

The eighth season of The Bachelor suspended filming midway into the season, with two virtual "Love In Lockdown" episodes being produced before in person production could resume. Neighbours suspended filming for two days after a crew member came into contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. Upon resuming production, Neighbours implemented new guidelines, including splitting its crews and avoiding intimate scenes between cast members.

On the ABC, Q&A, Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering suspended their studio audiences.

The Nine Network's Australian Ninja Warrior excluded audiences from attending tapings, with exception of the contestants' family members. The Voice Australia postponed production due to international talent facing a two-week quarantine after arriving in Australia.

The eleventh season of Gogglebox Australia filmed as normal prior to the beginning of the pandemic, with changes made to the show once the pandemic reached Australia. On April 10, following the beginning of the pandemic in Australia, cast members Mick and Di announced that they would be self-isolating for the remainder of the season; whilst further changes to the show included Jad using video conferencing software on his laptop, allowing him to continue participating in the program with his best friend Matty and Sarah Marie (Matty's wife); and 91-year old Emily (of the Silbery family) self-isolating, whilst her daughter Kerry and granddaughter Isabelle remained in weekly episodes for the remainder of the season.

Filming on the Seven Network's Home and Away was suspended as of March 22. The network also removed the show from its schedule for three weeks and replaced it for the first two weeks with the news show The Latest, and for the third week with the first week of the 8th season of House Rules. Production resumed on May 25.

Australia's Got Talent postponed production due to international talent facing a fourteen-day quarantine after arriving in Australia.

The annual Channel Seven Perth Telethon, traditionally aired as a marathon 26 hour live broadcast, was instead reduced to two, 3 hour live primetime specials that aired on October 24 and 25, 2020. The specials had a greater focus on Western Australia-based performers and personalities due to interstate travel restrictions.

Indonesia

As the government appeal Indonesians to "work, study, and pray at home", the Ministry of Education and Culture partners with TVRI to broadcast educational programming on a dedicated block Belajar dari Rumah on the network starting April 13, 2020. The block consists of kids program for preschools, instructional programming for elementary and high school students, and a parenting program on weekdays; as well as national movies at several weeknights and children, talkshow, and documentary programs at weekends. The block is aired every day at 08.00 to 11.00 WIB and 21.30 to 23.30 WIB on several weeknights, and also broadcast on TV Edukasi.

Japan

A handful of anime studios have encouraged their employees to work from home although the employment of freelance animators in some studios has limited work disruption. Anime productions including A3! Season Spring & Summer, A Certain Scientific Railgun T, Infinite Dendrogram, Asteroid in Love, The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited were delayed apparently due to the pandemic. Productions which heavily rely on outsourcing in-between and coloring work to studios in China were the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to international travel restrictions making it impossible to physically deliver works across national boundary in person.

On March 31, media outlets reported that Toei Company closed its Tokyo studio for disinfection after the lead actor of Mashin Sentai Kiramager, the 44th season of the long-time running Super Sentai series, Rio Komiya (Jūru Atsuta) tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day and halted production of the series. However, on April 3, Toei released a statement that the studio was not closed despite what news and media outlets reported, citing the news as misinformation. As of April 5, Komiya's health condition was improving, and four days later, Komiya was discharged from the hospital and self-quarantined for two weeks. On May 10, both Kiramager and Kamen Rider Zero-One, the 30th season of the long-time running Kamen Rider series was announced to be going on hiatus. In place of the standard weekly episodes, Kiramager will broadcast Episode ZERO, a prequel episode detailing events before the series, as well as the Director's Cut versions of the first two episodes, Kira Talk!, and the Jamental Institute. Kamen Rider Zero-One will be releasing five special episodes that recount the events of the episodes covered in the 35 episodes released before hiatus, with two of those episodes dubbed "President Special" that are from the perspective of Aruto Hiden and his secretary, Is, while the third episode dubbed "Shooting Special" will be from the perspective of Isamu Fuwa and Yua Yaiba. On May 27, it was reported that Kamen Rider Zero-One would resume filming on June 1 following Japan lifting its state-of-emergency declaration two days prior, albeit with new guidelines to be used while shooting the remaining episodes. On June 7, TV Asahi announced that Kiramager and Zero-One would return to their regular weekly episodes starting on June 21.

Live-action drama series also suspended production to reduce the spread of the virus, and most broadcast stations transmitted works from their archives. Nippon TV shows such as and Detective Notice, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television shows such as and Hanzawa Naoki 2, and Fuji TV shows such as Unsung Cinderella and Suits Season 2 all temporarily ceased production. Additionally, NHK suspended production and airing of their shows , , and .

On April 19, 2020, TV Tokyo, MediaNet & ShoPro announced that the Pokémon anime series would be going on hiatus, with production temporarily suspended. Reruns of old episodes began airing from April 26 to May 31, 2020; production staff later announced that new episodes would resume airing on June 7, 2020. In addition, production for many Toei anime shows was suspended due to the pandemic, including Healin' Good Pretty Cure (at Episode 12) and Digimon Adventure: (at Episode 3). As of April 19, 2020, Fuji TV, Toei Animation confirmed that the One Piece anime series would be going on recess, with production temporarily postponing new episodes and reruns of older episodes taking their place. On April 26, 2020, Nippon Animation announced that broadcasting of new episodes of the Chibi Maruko-chan anime had been suspended indefinitely as a result of the virus first reaching Tokyo. As a side note, as of April 26, 2020, there were a number of anime series with production pauses due to difficulties in supply and production, including some series like Black Clover, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Duel Masters King, Kingdom (Season 3), Major 2nd Season 2.

As of May 9, 2020, it was reported that nine anime series had completed production during the public health crisis.

Malaysia

Malaysia suspended all active filming in March. On May 19, the government has given the green light for the filming industry to resume its activities after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Philippines

Television talk, reality, variety and game shows in the Philippines temporarily filmed without a live audience. TAPE Inc. announced on March 9 that it would stop admitting live audiences for their variety show Eat Bulaga!, which airs on GMA Network; ABS-CBN followed suit, announcing on March 10 that they would do the same for their television shows including It's Showtime, Banana Sundae, Magandang Buhay, the second season of the Philippine version of I Can See Your Voice and ASAP. GMA Network then followed suit again with Wowowin (including its Saturday primetime edition), All-Out Sundays, Centerstage, The Boobay and Tekla Show, Mars Pa More and GMA News TV's Idol sa Kusina and Tonight with Arnold Clavio.

On March 14, 2020, ABS-CBN and GMA Network both announced that they will suspend production on their respective drama and live entertainment shows effective March 15 (the same day a quarantine declared by President Rodrigo Duterte was enacted in Metro Manila and Cainta, Rizal). Hence, ABS-CBN would air its previously aired shows temporarily in place for primetime viewing: 100 Days to Heaven, May Bukas Pa and On the Wings of Love. Additionally, the network gave its iWant TV series I Am U on its television debut. The following week, Walang Hanggan, The Legal Wife and Got to Believe were re-aired on the afternoon programming block, additionally, Wildflower, Tubig at Langis and the 2018 remake of the Chinese version of Meteor Garden on the primetime block. GMA Network followed suit with Ika-6 na Utos, Encantadia, Kambal, Karibal, My Husband's Lover, Alyas Robin Hood and Onanay.

On March 18, 2020, GMA News TV and CNN Philippines announced that they will temporarily go off-air beginning March 19, with the latter going off as the Worldwide Corporate Center in Mandaluyong, where their newsroom and studios are based, is being disinfected after a confirmed case in the offices of one of the building's tenants. The two networks eventually returned on March 20 and 23 respectively, with GMA News TV making way for a temporary full-time video simulcast of DZBB-AM and its studio programming.