International Sales of French TV Programming Hits Record

International sales of TV programming from France set an all-time record in 2017 of €205 million ($238 million).

There was a nice uptick in the exports to the U.S. and Canada, with sales up 16 percent.

While all types of programming contributed to the banner year, animation once again had the strongest performance in the international market. Animation accounted for 37 percent of French sales, with a total revenue of nearly €76 million ($88 million).

Documentaries posted their second-best performance in ten years, generating total revenue of around €36 million ($42 million). Sales for scripted increased by 28 percent, reaching €64 million ($74 million). Notable hits in fiction included Baron Noir and Black Spot.

“Total French TV exports, including co-productions and presales, generated more than €325 million in 2017,” said Frédérique Bredin, the president of the Centre National du Cinéma et de L’Image Animée (CNC). “It was a historic year, the second best in the past 20 years. International sales have more than doubled in 10 years.”

“We are delighted at this continual growth and the doubling of sales in 10 years,” added Hervé Michel, the president of TV France International. “These indicators and the record sales figures are the result of a dynamic marketplace, but also the remarkable capacity of our sales companies to understand a market that is both complex and rapidly evolving. It is also the result of the improving quality of French productions and the talent of our creatives—a value chain that is supported by the Centre National du Cinéma et de L’Image Animée and the public authorities.”