The Series Mania Forum is moving forward plenty of news and trends. Yesterday, audiovisual industry experts analyzed the main trends shaping the market and the strategies players are adopting as the industry navigates uncertain times. More than ever in fiction series, both production and distribution, these are times for collaborations and strategic alliances.

To examine the industry's current landscape, the conference "Key Trends in TV", organized by the European Audiovisual Observatory, brought together Manuel Alduy (France Télévisions), Carolina Lorenzon (MFE - MediaForEurope), Gilles Fontaine, and Susanne Nikoltchev (EAO). ‘Over 80% of series in 2023 were financed by broadcasters. However, production declined by 6% due to rising costs, the reopening of studio catalogs, and increasing collaboration between streaming platforms and traditional TV networks,’ stated Fontaine.

National fiction production in Europe remains self-sufficient, but high-budget series require external funding. Manuel Alduy from France Télévisions explained to Prensario: ‘European broadcasters seek alliances to share costs or turn to streaming platforms, which invest €300 million annually in Europe. However, sharing rights with streamers remains a strategic challenge.’ He cited as an example the series "Kabul", co-produced by ZDF and France Télévisions, which costs €3 million per episode.

Meanwhile, Guy Bisson and Cyrine Amor from Ampere Analysis provided an in-depth look at market transformations over the past year in the session "A Year in Series". ‘Series production has declined by 25% from the peak of the streaming era, reaching a state of stability. This adjustment has led to a reduction in expensive genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, as well as increased cancellations of children's content, which has shifted to a licensing model,’ commented Bisson.

This year at the market, there has been a noticeable surge of interest in crime and comedy, which have gained prominence. Crime now represents one-third of European productions and nearly half of original content on global platforms, according to some analysts. Additionally, several industry players have highlighted that Europe has emerged as a key content producer, matching North America in production volume.

Yesterday, several international delegations showcased the strength of their catalogs in their "Coming Next From" presentations. Among the highlights was Audiovisual From Spain (part of ICEX), where Irene Jiménez from Audiovisual 451 introduced several upcoming Spanish series, including: "Mariliendre" (Atresmedia International Sales, produced by SUMA Content) "La Favorita 1922" (Mediterráneo, and Mediaset's first collaboration with Bambú Producciones for Telecinco).

Unifrance also offered a preview of the series presented by its delegation’s production companies. Among the titles featured: "Kitchen Hustle", a series about the high-stakes world of gastronomy, which is still seeking international partners. Also "FAKE", a "pop thriller" that explores document forgery through a protagonist who rediscovers her talent for fraud after her family’s financial downfall. Described as a mix between "Breaking Bad" and "Killing Eve", it adds a fresh take on deception and crime.

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