Streaming giants are continuing their commitment to financing French audiovisual creation. In 2024, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, and Crunchyroll invested nearly €400 million in national productions, a record hailed by Arcom, the French audiovisual regulator. This figure represents a significant increase compared to 2023, confirming the growing role of these platforms in the French audiovisual landscape.
A strengthened commitment since the entry into force of the 2021 decree
Introduced in July 2021, the decree requiring foreign video-on-demand platforms to contribute to French content creation continues to have an impact. According to data published Friday, November 7, by Arcom, the five platforms concerned paid a total of €397 million in 2024, compared to €337 million the previous year. This increase is largely due to the expansion of the scope to include Apple TV and Crunchyroll, in addition to Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video.
Of this amount, €317 million was allocated to audiovisual production (series, shows, documentaries, etc.), and €80 million to film. Arcom does not provide a breakdown by platform for reasons of commercial confidentiality, but according to the regulator, Netflix remains the largest contributor.
In accordance with the legal framework, these services must dedicate 20% of their revenue generated in France to the production of French works. During the ARP film meetings in Le Touquet, Martin Ajdari, president of Arcom, emphasized that "the stakeholders are playing their part" despite persistent "debates and tensions" in negotiations with rights holders and producers.
Towards a slowdown in growth from 2026 onwards?
While the outlook for 2025 remains positive, with the arrival of a new player Paramount+ in the fold of regulated platforms, Arcom nevertheless anticipates a possible "slowdown in growth" by 2026. Antoine Boilley, a member of the regulator's board, warned of several factors that could weaken the sector: a shrinking advertising market, a reduction in subsidies to public service broadcasting, and less sustained growth for the platforms.
Currently, streaming services account for nearly 25% of the mandatory funding for audiovisual and film production, with the remainder covered by traditional broadcasters. In total, this support mechanism mobilized €1,61 billion for creative projects in 2024, 90% of which went to original French-language works.
In 2025, with Paramount+ and likely Max (Warner Bros. Discovery's platform launching in France in 2024), this framework should expand further. But in a constantly evolving market, Arcom remains vigilant to ensure the long-term viability of funding for French content creation. These platforms, which have become essential for French producers, will have to reconcile economic imperatives with cultural obligations.
