The Unifrance Rendez-Vous TV market in Le Havre held its 2025 edition from September 1 to 5, taking place against a backdrop of industry acknowledgement that the international market is facing a challenging period due to global factors. While the event celebrated French creativity, reports indicate that overall international sales growth is slowing, particularly in the animation sector.Financial data from the 2024 French TV export report confirmed this complex environment:
- Overall exports rose 3% from 2023, reaching €209.6 million, fueled primarily by a 58% increase in co-productions, especially with Europe.
- Drama maintained its status as the top-selling genre, accounting for 35.9% of sales.
- Animation sales dropped for the fifth consecutive year, impacted by cuts to youth programming by public broadcasters and streamers shifting away from the medium.
- Sales to North America fell to their lowest level ever, accounting for 7.9% of total export revenues.
French content strategy: IP and safe bets
Despite the pressures, French productions demonstrate resilience driven by strong intellectual property (IP). Gaëtan Bruel, president of the French national film center (CNC), noted that French TV series ‘continue to captivate audiences around the world’, citing the political drama The Trigger, the manga adaptation Cat’s Eyes, and light crime series like Astrid & Raphaëlle. Also confirmed that documentary programs drive international sales, and animation maintains a global presence with titles such as Mystery Lane and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.
The current drama market favors crime thrillers and lighter fare. New crime titles included France TV’s Corsican thriller Vendetta and Mediawan Rights’ eco-thriller After Us. Sales agents also emphasized the market appeal of lighter formats, with Federation International promoting the Christmas comedy My Hubert’s Christmas.
Audience measurement and regulatory shifts
The industry is navigating major regulatory changes, particularly regarding audience measurement. Yannick Carriou, head of Médiamétrie, highlighted that the rise of ad-supported services (AVOD) by major streamers has forced them to cooperate more on audience measurement. Carriou stressed that advertising agencies ‘literally eased discussions [with streamers’, insisting on the reliability of measurement bodies.
He also commented on the implementation of the E.U.’s European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), noting it aims to strengthen media freedom by enforcing the self-regulatory model over streamers’ «authoritarian model of data ownership». Although streamers are «not very pleased,» cooperation is slowly increasing.
The market remains strategically important. Some distribution executives noted that the Le Havre Rendez-vous is a ‘privileged moment’ to connect with partners and fine-tune strategy ahead of MIPCOM, added that streaming consolidation means platforms are now ‘more local, focused on French territories’, despite the long-term goal of optimizing global markets.
