🇫🇷 French scripted drama tightens its belt
The French television market has been hit by a harsh reality: following a record-breaking 599 projects in 2022, the industry has seen a sharp 14% decline.
Experts at Dutoit Media warn that the era of “magic money”—when streaming platforms lavished budgets on content simply to drive subscriptions—has officially come to an end.
Instead of chasing blockbuster hits, streamers have pivoted toward a retention-based strategy. The priority has shifted from “hype” to consistent content that keeps viewers paying month after month.
The cost of producing a single hour of drama has soared to €2.08 million (a 23% year-on-year increase), while the broadcasters’ share in project funding has dropped from 70% to 55%. Currently, French shows cost two to three times more than Belgian or Scandinavian productions, despite offering similar quality.
To survive in this new economy, producers are being advised to evolve into “intellectual property architects” by integrating AI and virtual sets to optimize production costs.
Source: Dni Medialogistiki
