French TV Program Exports Reach a 12-Year High

PARIS: Last year, sales of French TV programming internationally increased by 14.8 percent, netting 127 million euros ($168.4 million), the highest level in 12 years.

Total exports, including sales and presales, were up 8 percent to 165.9 million euros ($220 million), which is their highest value in 11 years. International presales and foreign funding in co-production in the French TV programming market were down, however. Presales fell 9.5 percent to 38.9 million euros ($51.6 million), while co-productions slipped 1.2 percent to 76.5 million euros ($100.1 million).

As for the geographical spread, Western Europe for the first time accounted for less than half of French exports, as broadcasters in Spain and Italy cut back dramatically on acquisitions. New markets, however, opened up, among them Russia, Latin America and Asia. In mature markets like the U.S. and the U.K. as well as growing ones like Russia and South Korea, subscription VOD platforms are now fully into the acquisitions game.

Sales increased across all genres as well, though growth was led by animation, which was up for the fourth year in a row to 43.9 million euros ($57 million), up 24.4 percent. Sales of fiction were up 14.3 percent and documentary grew 9.9 percent. For the first time, the majority of French fiction, 61.5 percent, was exported outside of Western Europe. Sales of fiction, game show and entertainment formats grew 7.9 percent to 21.4 million euros ($28.4 million).

The statistics were jointly compiled by the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) and TV France International.