French TV Productions Maintain High Sales Despite Higher Risk Aversion, Contraction in North America Deals

Ed Meza @edmezavar French TV international programming sales last year remained high despite worsening market conditions, slipping just 5.3% year on year to €203.4 million ($224.7 million), according to the annual report on audiovisual exports by France’s National Center of Cinema (CNC) and film and TV promotional org Unifrance. Indeed, 2023 marked just the third time in 30 years that sales exceeded the €200 million mark, following 2017 with €205.2 million ($225.7 million) and 2022, a record year with €214.8 million ($236.3 million).

Presenting the latest figures at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous TV market in Le Havre, the CNC’s Cécile Lacoue and Sarah Hemar of Unifrance noted that the export performance of French programs has held up well in a difficult international environment characterized by lower acquisition budgets and a contraction of the North American market in particular, less risk-taking on the part of buyers, and longer negotiations between partners. Commenting on the figures, Unifrance President Gilles Pélisson stressed the €200 million mark in total sales was a big accomplishment “in a very challenging environment.” “We should all keep in mind that this figure is significant and represents very well how complicated it is to fight in such a highly concentrated market.

… It means you are dealing with a few players which are very big, and they’re getting bigger and bigger. What it means is that it’s a very highly competitive market and so to sell is just a major, major achievement.” Total exports of French programs, including sales, pre-sales and co-production contributions, fell 3.3% compared to 2022 to €309.2 million ($340.1 million), in line with the minus 1.7% average of the last 10 years.

The report attributed the strong performance of French program exports to “the quality and diversity of audiovisual works in all genres, which continue to appeal to the international market. France is the second best-represented European nation in international VOD and in foreign TV channels’ programs.” Indeed, sales of French programs to foreign platforms continued to be a major source of revenue despite dropping 11.8 percentage points to 31.3%.