The French National Film Board (CNC) and Unifrance on Tuesday offered a sobering assessment of France’s TV content exports in 2025, citing “a deteriorating economic environment and numerous uncertainties” that contributed to a sharp 21.6% drop in the international sales of French audiovisual programs to €164.3 million ($190.8 million) — the lowest level in a decade.
The report, presented at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, noted the sharp contrast with the previous year, stressing that 2024 exports actually rose 3% year-on-year to reach €209.6 million — their second highest level in 30 years — “a year that had remained at an excellent level, with export activity proving resilient despite the international economic environment.”
In 2025, fiction remained the leading export genre with a 33.4% total share, making it the most exported genre for the fourth consecutive year. Nevertheless, it suffered a double-digit decline for the first time since 2018: €54.9 million in 2025, down 27% year-on-year. (In 2018, fiction fell 22.5%.)
Documentary overtook animation for the first time with 26.2% of international sales, above the past 10-year average of 21.2%. The sales decline for documentary fare was more moderate at just 2.7% to €43.1 million, close to the decade average of €41.1 million.
Animation, despite its success in recent years, fell to an all-time low at 19.6%. After five strong years, from 2016 to 2020, animation was the first genre hit by contracting international demand, according to the report, and the downward trend continued in 2025 with a massive 30.3% drop to €32.2 million.
Taking a closer look at fiction, sales remained concentrated around light crime and lighter-toned procedurals. Among the top sellers were “Bright Minds,” about a neurodivergent police records archivist with an extraordinary memory who helps a troubled police inspector solve complex crimes; “Deadly Tropics,” which follows a mismatched duo of female detectives as they solve local murder cases on the Caribbean island of Martinique; and “Alexandra Ehle,” about a brilliant and eccentric forensic pathologist in Bordeaux.
In general, sales saw reduced genre diversity in favor of a more standardized offering despite some strong examples to the contrary, including “Samber,” the true-crime miniseries about a serial rapist who stalked women along the Sambre River for three decades until he was finally arrested; and World War I steampunk sci-fi actioner “The Sentinels.”
The decline of animation, meanwhile, was exacerbated by the court-ordered liquidation of once leading companies Cyber Group and TeamTO (the latter was acquired in 2024 by U.S.-based Riva Studios). In addition, sales for animation were down in every region except North America, which was up 5.9%, and Africa, plus 38.7%, both of which remained at low levels, however.
“Buyers increasingly favor established IP,” the reported noted, pointing out that the global market “has at times become saturated, with production continuing even as international demand slowed.”
Documentary, on the other hand, has proved more resilient.
European TV broadcasters remain the main buyers of French documentaries, with more than half of sales going to Western Europe. However, while French productions are internationally recognized, export barriers are multiplying, according to the report, including a global shift towards local preference. Editorial strategies are refocusing on locally relevant themes, which are less suited to export.
Nevertheless, priority is given to event documentaries with high-impact subject matter, exceptional access and/or exclusivity.
Leading titles included “Machu Picchu: Secrets of the Lost City of the Incas,” sold by Kwanza; “1939-1945: and the World Changes,” from ZED; and Terranoa’s “Extraordinary Clouds.”
Belgium remained the leading export territory for French content despite sales falling 18.8% year-on-year to €20.2 million. Documentary fare was the leading genre for the second consecutive year in the country, making up 39.2% of sales, ahead of fiction with 35.5%.
The U.S. returned to the top three, rising to second place in 2025 (after ranking sixth the previous year) with €10.1 million in sales, up 31%.
Italy was again in third place despite sales falling 26.1% to €9.3 million.
Overall, the CNC and Unifrance annual report found a “decline in the TV advertising market, budget cuts at many public broadcasters and fewer program commissions worldwide.”
“Buyers remain highly risk-averse: tighter editorial and budget trade-offs, rationalized investment — especially among SVOD services, which buy fewer multi-territory rights and favor a ‘local for local’ strategy — longer decision-making processes, and priority for recognizable, high-potential programs already proven in other markets.”
