Robust Sales of French Audiovisual Exports Persist in 2023 Amidst International Hurdles
Taking Over the Silver Screen: France's Audiovisual Exports in 2024
Le Havre, September 3, 2025 - At the 31st Unifrance Rendez-Vous, held in Le Havre for the second year in a row, the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC) and Unifrance unveiled their annual report on French audiovisual exports. Amid a volatile global market, French audiovisual content sales reached a staggering €208 million in 2024, a mere 1.8% drop compared to the record-breaking year of 2022. This marks only the fourth time in the past 30 years that exports have exceeded €200 million, following the achievement in 2017, 2022, and now 2024.
A Sense of Déjà Vu in a Changing Landscape
The report highlights the remarkable resilience of the French audiovisual sector amid declining acquisition budgets and cautious buyer behavior. Total exports, including sales, pre-sales, and co-production contributions, reached €313.5 million, revealing a growth of 1.2% from 2022. This performance closely mirrors the decade-long average, reflecting the ongoing strength and adaptability of French audiovisual exports.
French programs continue to dominate international VOD platforms, accounting for 32.1% of export revenues. However, traditional TV broadcasters remain the primary buyers, making up 54.8% of sales.
Fiction and Docu-dramas Shine on the International Stage
Dramatic fiction maintained its position as the top export genre, with €76.2 million in sales. Series like HPI 2.0, Queen Bee 3000, Ali Baba and the Marvelous Models, and B.R.I.: Reborn contributed significantly to this success.
Documentary sales remained robust, generating €47.8 million, driven by content related to current events and hybrid works like Oligarques russes: la grande traque - Redux and La Bataille du Cobalt 2.0.
However, animation experienced a decline of 8.6%, reflecting reduced buyer investment, particularly in North America.
Western Europe Tops as Leading Export Market
Western Europe reclaimed its position as the top market for French audiovisual exports, accounting for 46.9% of global revenues in 2024. Sales in the region reached €96 million, with Belgium emerging as the largest buyer of French content.
North America, previously the top buyer in 2022, continued to struggle, with sales dropping to €22.6 million. Asia/Oceania and Central and Eastern Europe followed with equal shares of 7.1%.
Stable Pre-Financing and Robust Co-Production Investments
Foreign pre-financing for French audiovisual projects remained steady at €106.3 million. Although pre-sales decreased by 32.2%, co-production contributions rose by 37.8%, with animation leading in both areas. Co-production investment in dramatic fiction also increased by 53%, while documentaries experienced a minor decline.
Western Europe remained the largest co-production partner, contributing 84.6% of total investment.
In Summary
The 2024 report testifies to the global appeal and resilience of French audiovisual content across multiple genres, despite economic challenges and shifting market demands. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the French audiovisual sector endures, demonstrating adaptability and persistence in capturing and maintaining a significant global market share.
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- France's audiovisual exports in the realm of movies-and-tv and entertainment continued to shine on the international stage, with dramatic fiction and documentaries generating significant revenues in 2024.
- The report also revealed that Western Europe, a hub for movies-and-tv and entertainment, reclaimed its position as the leading market for French audiovisual exports, accounting for a substantial share of global revenues.
