As part of the 31st Unifrance Rendez-Vous, the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) and Unifrance present their annual report on French audiovisual program exports, revealing a record-setting year despite a challenging international economic climate.
In 2024, the total export value of French audiovisual programs, including sales, pre-sales, and co-production contributions, reached an all-time high of €401.2 million, a significant increase of 29.7% over 2023. This performance is largely attributed to a strong rebound in foreign pre-financing, with co-production contributions growing to €116.2 million (+58.7%) and foreign pre-sales reaching €75.4 million (+131.2%).
While facing industry-wide challenges such as declining acquisitions, longer negotiations, and increased focus on well-known IPs, the strength of French content is evident. The exhibition of French programs on foreign platforms has become a key revenue source, accounting for 40.9% of export revenues in 2024. Despite this, linear broadcasters remain the primary buyers, representing 52.7% of total program sales.
Genre and market performance
The success of French fiction exports continues, with €75.2 million in sales. This marks the second-best year for the genre, which solidifies its position as the leading export category, driven by «light crime» series like Deadly Tropics and event series such as Cat’s Eyes.
Documentaries also show strong export performance, with sales of €44.3 million in 2024, remaining above the decade average. While linear TV remains the main buyer, the genre has seen a decline in dedicated slots and a growing focus on local topics.
In contrast, animation sales were down again, reaching €46.1 million (-9.9% compared to 2023). Despite the continued global popularity of shows like Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, the genre is suffering from buyers’ reluctance to take risks on new projects. This is most visible in North America, where animation sales dropped by 36.8%, reaching their lowest level since 2008.
Western Europe remains the top market for French programs, accounting for 43.2% of global revenues. Central and Eastern Europe have emerged as the second-largest market with €16.6 million in sales, surpassing North America, which fell to third place. For the second consecutive year, Belgium is the leading buyer, with sales of €24.4 million, followed by the Germany/Austria zone and Italy. The USA, which was the top buyer in 2022, dropped to sixth place.
Overall, the report highlights the enduring dynamism and quality of French production across all genres, which continues to find strong appeal with international audiences despite a complex and evolving global market.
