Exports: a record year for French audiovisual contents

As the report precisely explains, exports of audiovisual programmes are not limited to the sale. The financial flows drained by French programmes between France and the world are analysed under two aspects: pre-sales and contributions to coproduction. In relation with presales and contributions to coproduction, the report uses the terms “foreign pre-funding of French programmes”.

Despite the health crisis, an excellent overall performance

Figures show that the impact of the pandemic is still sensitive on the business of programme exporters in 2021. However, the CNC notes that “the demand in contents remained strong worldwide, which helped French audiovisual exports stay at a particularly high level”.

The overall total of French audiovisual contents exports reaches 375.9 M€ (+6% compared with 2020). The report mentions an “all-time record” and “excellent performance”, mostly supported by the growth of foreign pre-funding in French productions. Pre-sales abroad sharply rose by 30.5% (to €101.5m) and foreign contributions to co-production of French programmes increased by 10.2% (€88.4m). Foreign pre-financing therefore reaches a total of €189.9m in 2021, compared to €157.9m in 2020.

Pre-sales focus on three genres and two geographical areas

The CNC and Unifrance report says that this increase mainly concerns three genres of programmes:

• fiction, where pre-sales have more than doubled to €45.5m;
• animation, the leading pre-purchased genre. Despite a 7.2% drop in pre-sales, it recorded the second highest level after 2020;
• documentaries (and magazines), where pre-sales increased by 12.0% to reach €8.8m in 2021.

In relation with countries buying these pre-sale programmes, two areas stand out:

• Western Europe, with 50.2% of the world total, remains "the leading partner of French producers in the pre-purchase of audiovisual programmes (€50.9m, +16.4%)";
• North America accounts for 29.3% of the total, with pre-purchases up by 51.5% (€29.7m).

As for the rest of the world, the figure for pre-sales of French programmes stands at 20.5% in 2021.

A historic level of foreign contributions to co-production

In 2021, again according to the CNC report, foreign co-production contributions to French production increased by 10.2% (i.e. a total of €88.4m) and thus reach the highest level since 2003 (€111.5m).

More specifically, co-production contributions from Western Europe rose by 49.7% to €77.2m. The market share of this geographical area was 87.3%, a 23 points increase compared to 2020. Contributions from North America are also on the rise, rising from €1.4m in 2020 to €6.9m in 2021. The share of Africa falls by almost 10 percentage points in 2021, due to very large previous investments in programmes in 2020.

To know more: 

- Exports of French audiovisual contents in 2021 (in French)

Photo credit: © Angel Simon – stock.adobe.com