French television content exports have reached a decade low due to substantial declines in advertising revenue and budget cuts across broadcasters.
On September 8, 2026, the French National Film Board (CNC) and Unifrance published a report revealing a sharp 21.6% decrease in France's TV content exports for the year 2025. The total revenue from international sales of French audiovisual programs plummeted to €164.3 million ($190.8 million), marking the lowest level in a decade.
The report attributed this decline to "a deteriorating economic environment and numerous uncertainties." This evaluation was presented during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, highlighting the stark contrast with 2024's performance, when exports had increased by 3%, reaching €209.6 million.
Fiction remains the most exported genre, accounting for 33.4% of total sales, but it experienced a notable decline. Sales dropped to €54.9 million in 2025, representing a 27% decrease year-on-year. Animation faced an even steeper setback, experiencing a 30.3% decline to €32.2 million, which constituted an all-time low at 19.6% of the export market share.
In contrast, documentary programming overtook animation for the first time, making up 26.2% of international sales. This category's decline was less severe, with a moderate drop of 2.7% to €43.1 million, approaching the decade average of €41.1 million. The report noted that sales were increasingly concentrated on light crime and procedural genres, with successful titles such as "Bright Minds" and "Deadly Tropics."
Despite the international recognition of French productions, the report indicated that export barriers are escalating. A global shift toward local content preferences is making it increasingly challenging for international sales. Buyers are becoming risk-averse, preferring established intellectual properties (IP) and recognizable titles before investing in new ventures. This trend could impact future sales dynamics as international demand continues to shift.
Also, while buyers, particularly in Europe and North America, still show interest in French documentaries, significant budget cuts in public broadcasting and declining advertising revenues are compounding these challenges.
The U.S. managed to re-enter the top three export markets, with sales increasing by 31% to €10.1 million, while Italy followed in third place despite a 26.1% decline to €9.3 million.
The CNC and Unifrance's findings underscore the urgent need for reevaluation within the French audiovisual ecosystem as it faces financial pressures and changing market dynamics. The report serves as a critical wake-up call not only for French broadcasters but also for stakeholders in the international content landscape. With expectations of increasing competition and evolving viewer preferences, the path forward may require a strategic pivot toward enhancing content quality and diversifying genre offerings to reclaim market share both domestically and internationally.
For further insights on the evolving landscape of television exports, check out our articles on Netflix's Animated Comedy ‘Dang!’ and Star Trek: The Animated Series.
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