Unifrance publishes its third annual report analyzing the presence and distribution of French audiovisual creations in ten foreign countries.
Analysis of 2023 confirms the trends identified the previous year, whether in terms of the overall place occupied by French audiovisual works on TV channels, or in terms of the titles and genres most popular locally.
French audiovisual productions accounted for 11.0% of programs broadcast in Poland – the highest level of any country surveyed – which was ahead of Germany which in turn edged just ahead of Spain (7,8 %). Proportionally, Spain ranked second among the ten countries by number of broadcasts (15.2%) and number of hours (7.6%), but was overtaken in both cases by Italy (16.1% and 9.6% respectively). Sweden was third in the rankings in terms of number of broadcasts (10.5%), just ahead of Poland (10.1%), which joined the top three in terms of number of hours (6.7%). French audiovisual creation also continued to circulate on the small screen outside Europe, as demonstrated by the numerous broadcasts recorded in Australia, Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
Although animation offered fewer programs than other genres in terms of volume, it continued to be bolstered by popular, locally-identified series such as Gigantosaurus, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, and Pyjamasques and maintained its popularity with young audiences on the international scene. As for documentaries, the diversity of their subjects and formats ensured their presence on foreign TV channels, keen to shed light on history (such as the Apocalypse collection), the environment and discovery (Amazing Train Journeys) or science (La Science des forces de la nature). Last but not least, dramatic fiction was able to reach all types of broadcasters and audiences worldwide, thanks to its diversified program range and strong IPs. Whether portraits (Bardot, Marie-Antoinette) or police investigations (Candice Renoir, Capitain Marleau, HIP, Leo Mattei - Special Unit, The Paris Murders), the latter often featuring strong female characters, French dramatic fiction managed to secure a prime-time slot.
In addition to television broadcasts, festivals (which are increasingly open to series in their official selections) and awards ceremonies have been added to the mix. In 2023, for example, Ovidie's A Very Ordinary World won the International Emmy for Short Fiction, Parliament – Season 2 won the Rose d'O for Sitcom and Comedy, The Fire within - a Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft picked up the Magnolia Award in Shanghai, and Ukraine, Ice, & Fire was awarded Best Foreign Film at the Golden Gate International Film Festival.
The 2023 annual report can be downloaded below (in French only)
Study
Unifrance - Bilan Audiovisuel 2023
