Resilient Export Performance Amid Global Challenges
The French audiovisual sector demonstrated resilience in the face of a challenging international environment, characterized by lower acquisition budgets, a shrinking North American market, and more cautious buyer behavior. Total exports, which include sales, pre-sales, and co-production contributions, amounted to €309.2 million in 2023, down 3.3% from the previous year. This figure aligns closely with the average export levels over the past decade, highlighting the stability of French audiovisual exports.
The continued success of French audiovisual programs on the international stage is a testament to the quality and diversity of content across various genres. France remains the second most represented European nation in international VOD platforms and foreign TV channels' programming. In 2023, the exhibition of French programs on foreign platforms contributed significantly to export revenues, accounting for 31.3% of total revenues. Linear broadcasters, however, remained the primary buyers, with TV rights making up 54.2% of total sales.
Dramatic Fiction and Documentaries Lead the Charge
French dramatic fiction continued to shine in 2023, generating €74.5 million in sales, making it the top export genre for the second consecutive year. Although this figure represents a 7.7% decline from 2022, it remains well above the ten-year average of €54.9 million. This success can be attributed to a range of ambitious and innovative series with strong intellectual properties, such as HPI, Marie Antoinette, Bardot, and B.R.I., as well as France's expertise in procedural dramas like Deadly Tropics and Astrid: Murder in Paris.
Documentaries also maintained their strong international sales momentum, bringing in €47.2 million, just 3.0% lower than in 2022, which was a record year. Programs that resonated with current events, along with hybrid works that combined genres like science and history, such as Oligarques russes: la grande traque, Iznik: les mystères de la basilique engloutie, and La Bataille du Cobalt, contributed to this success.
However, the animation genre faced challenges, with sales declining by 11.2% to €51.2 million. Despite the ongoing global appeal of high-profile French animated content, the genre was affected by a reduction in buyers' investments, particularly in North America, where sales plummeted by 69.7% to €4.3 million. Nevertheless, animation remains the second-largest export genre, holding a 25.2% market share.
Western Europe Reclaims Its Position as Top Market
Western Europe reasserted itself as the leading market for French audiovisual exports in 2023, accounting for 46.8% of worldwide revenues, up 6.1 percentage points from the previous year. Sales in the region reached €95.1 million, making it the top destination for French programs. North America, which held the top spot in 2022, saw a significant drop, with sales falling to €22.3 million. Asia/Oceania and Central and Eastern Europe followed with market shares of 6.9% each.
Among individual countries, Belgium emerged as the largest buyer of French audiovisual content, with sales of €17.1 million, driven primarily by dramatic fiction. The UK/Ireland region was the second-largest buyer, followed by Germany/Austria. The United States, which led in 2022, fell to fifth place with €9.5 million in purchases, a sharp decline from €19.2 million the previous year.
Stable Pre-Financing and Rising Co-Production Contributions
Foreign pre-financing of French audiovisual projects remained stable in 2023, totaling €105.8 million. While foreign pre-sales dropped by 35.6% to €32.6 million, co-production contributions surged by 34.5% to €73.2 million. Animation continued to dominate pre-sales, accounting for 59.8% of the total, with Western Europe being the primary source of these funds.
Co-production investment saw significant growth, particularly in animation, which increased by 54.0% to €36.3 million, and dramatic fiction, which rose by 50.8% to €20.2 million. However, co-production investment in documentaries declined by 8.4% to €14.3 million. Western Europe remained the leading co-production partner, contributing 84.3% of total investment.
Overall, the 2023 report underscores the enduring global appeal of French audiovisual content across various genres and markets, despite facing economic and industry-specific challenges.
Consult the study “French audiovisual program exports in 2023” report
photo: Cécile Lacoue (CNC), Sarah Hemar (Unifrance), Raphaelle Mathieu (Sedpa/Cyber Group Studios)
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