{"id":366537,"date":"2026-03-26T17:25:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/366537\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:25:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:25:11","slug":"france-televisions-manuel-alduy-eyes-streamer-ties-as-budget-tightens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/366537\/","title":{"rendered":"France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions’ Manuel Alduy Eyes Streamer Ties as Budget Tightens"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWith budgets tightening across the board, Manuel Alduy<\/a>, the head of cinema and international fiction at France Televisions<\/a>, is looking to deepen ties with streamers, and bring them into the fold the same way the French broadcaster has long partnered with its European neighbors, including Germany\u2019s ZDF and Italy\u2019s RAI.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe want to work more with platforms but there needs to be flexibility on both sides,\u201d said Alduy in an interview with Variety ahead of France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions\u2019 presentation at Series Mania<\/a> in Lille where the TV group will host the premiere of a dystopian \u2013 yet timely \u2014 drama \u201cThe Best Immigrant.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tAfter holding steady last year while commercial broadcasters such as Canal+ and TF1 scaled back, the public broadcaster will reduce its investment in film by \u20ac5 million in 2026. More broadly, the group\u2019s investment in audiovisual content has dropped 10%, from \u20ac440 million to \u20ac400 million, in two years. <\/p>\n

\n\tThat squeeze is impacting the group\u2019s fiction output. \u201cTwo or three years ago, we aimed to deliver three to four high-end event miniseries per year,\u201d says Alduy. \u201cToday, if we can deliver two, that\u2019s already good.\u201d Projects on the scale of Bille August\u2019s prestige limited series \u201cThe Count of Monte Cristo,\u201d which relied on international co-production (through the Alliance with ZDF and RAI) to lower costs, are becoming \u201cthe exception,\u201d Alduy says, as partners across Europe face their own budget constraints.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith their deeper pockets and global reach, streamers are both an opportunity and a challenge for France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions to align on economic models, rights and creative control in a way that works for both sides. \u201cThey\u2019re often at double or triple our budgets,\u201d Alduy says, noting that \u201cthe starting point is always the story \u2014 then rights, then financing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAt the same time, France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions is holding firm on its long-standing commitment to support domestic and European creation over imported U.S. hits. \u201cWe no longer acquire American series,\u201d he says, pointing that the broadcaster has had success with flagship French series like \u201cAlex Hugo\u201d still draw around 5 million viewers, while recent miniseries such as \u201cL\u2019Affaire Laura Stern\u201d have reached 3.5 million per episode across linear and digital.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut that editorial mandate could be tested. \u201cIf lawmakers reduce the public broadcasting budget, we\u2019ll have to invest less in French fiction and potentially return to acquiring more foreign series, including American ones,\u201d Alduy says, adding that other European public broadcasters are already moving in that direction. The exec joined France Televisions in 2021, after holding senior roles at Twentieth Century Fox and Canal+ Group where he played a crucial role in building the group\u2019s film and TV strategy as head of the film division.\u00a0Besides \u201cThe Best Immigrant\u201d which is premiering in the international competition, France Televisions is also presenting the period adventure drama \u201cEncha\u00een\u00e9s\u201d starring Olivier Gourmet and Enzo Rose, among others. <\/p>\n

\n\tCanal+, TF1 and others reduced investment in content last year but yours remained stable, according to a recent study unveiled by the National Film Board. \u00a0What about France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions in 2026?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already announced that we will invest less in 2026 \u2014 about \u20ac5 million less. That doesn\u2019t challenge our overall agreement with the sector, which allows for a 15% variation year to year. Out of that \u20ac5 million reduction, about \u20ac3 million will impact pre-buys \u2014 so production \u2014 and the rest will come from acquisitions of French films. In practical terms, that means three to four fewer films.<\/p>\n

What is your current approach to international fiction and acquisitions?<\/p>\n

We buy just under 200 episodes of European series per year. We no longer purchase American TV series. During our president\u2019s previous term, we made a commitment to support French and European content creation. One of the outcomes of this is that we no longer invest in or spend money on American TV series, leaving that to streaming platforms, private broadcasters, and other platforms or broadcasters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is it difficult to deliver strong ratings without American series?<\/p>\n

No. French fiction performs very strongly for us. On France 3, for example, \u201cAlex Hugo\u201d averages around 5 million viewers per episode. \u201cMeurtres \u00e0\u2026\u201d ranges between 3 and 5 million, depending on whether it\u2019s a repeat or a new episode. More recently, \u201cL\u2019Affaire Laura Stern,\u201d a four-part miniseries on domestic violence starring Val\u00e9rie Bonneton, reached around 3.5 million viewers per episode across linear and non-linear. So editorially, this strategy hasn\u2019t had a negative impact on ratings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What will you do if public funding continues to decline? \u00a0<\/p>\n

If we suffer another budget cut for public broadcasting, then we may have to invest less in French fiction, documentaries, and so on, and we could just have to go back to buying American series like we used to. We mustn\u2019t forget that it was France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions launched \u201cER\u201d in France 20 years ago. Right now, in the short term, we don\u2019t have a problem with inventory. We have enough content to air, but it\u2019s clear that if this trend continues into 2027 or 2028, we\u2019ll have to air more foreign series because it\u2019s cheaper than producing our own. My colleagues in European public broadcasting, in other countries \u2014 whether smaller countries that can\u2019t afford to support their national production at the same level as ours, or countries as big as ours but facing the same budget constraints \u2014 are already diving into American fiction. They don\u2019t hold back. They\u2019re heading to the L.A. screenings in May to select shows. But that hasn\u2019t been the mandate of France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions over the last ten years.\u00a0
What are your investment obligations in film and TV?<\/p>\n

Regulation requires us to invest 3.5% in cinema, and we are above that. Around 95% of that goes into French-language films. For audiovisual creation \u2014 including fiction, documentaries, animation and live performance \u2014 we had an agreement at \u20ac440 million. We reduced that to \u20ac420 million, and now to \u20ac400 million. Fiction accounts for the largest share \u2014 previously \u20ac280 million \u2014 so it will be directly impacted.<\/p>\n

What does that mean for the volume and scale of series?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re facing a double constraint. High-budget series are harder to schedule because our programming budget is shrinking. At the same time, our overall investment is down by \u20ac40 million. If we can\u2019t produce cheaper series, there will be a significant drop in volume. We\u2019ll have to compensate with repeats or acquisitions of foreign series.<\/p>\n

Could you still finance a series like Bille August\u2019s \u201cThe Count of Monte-Cristo\u201d in this context?<\/p>\n

It would be difficult. We were able to do it because it was an international co-production, so it ended up costing us less per episode than a French series, but it\u2019s becoming something of an exception. Basically, two years ago, we were hoping to have three to four high-budget, event-style miniseries a year to offer the public. That was three years ago. I think today, if we can get two a year, that\u2019s good. This is partly due to our lower revenues \u2014 and thus our limited resources \u2014 but also because of the difficult market conditions, since these are series that require other broadcasters, and those other broadcasters aren\u2019t doing well either. They have less money, so you\u2019re combining the difficulty of finding partners willing to provide high-level funding with our own limited resources.
How are you working with streamers today?<\/p>\n

We want to collaborate more with platforms, but there needs to be flexibility on both sides. Their metrics and editorial strategies are different. They tend to focus on high-budget projects \u2014 often double or triple our production costs \u2014 and they have the means to do so. For us, the starting point is always the story. Then comes the question of rights \u2014 especially non-linear rights, which are essential for us \u2014 and only after that, financing. We\u2019ve had successful collaborations: \u201cLucky Luke\u201d with Disney+, \u201cZorro\u201d with Paramount+, and projects with HBO Max and Amazon. But most of these originated at France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions. That\u2019s key for us. We\u2019ve rarely joined projects initiated by platforms.<\/p>\n

The Alliance \u2013 the partnership between France T\u00e9l\u00e9visons, Italy\u2019s RAI and Germany\u2019s ZDF with which you financed \u201cMonte Cristo\u201d \u2014 is also still up and running, correct?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yes, we actually launched a call for projects on romcoms last year through the Alliance. We ended up selecting three projects, but we\u2019re not announcing them all yet because we\u2019re still aligning their development timelines. These things take time. The projects come from different countries and have different stakes. But they\u2019re not high-end, big-budget shows \u2014 they\u2019re mid-range, more reasonable in terms of cost. More broadly, this type of project fits into our lighter programming strategy. With series like romcoms, or titles like \u201cRallye 82\u201d (previously titled \u201cFemale Driver\u201d), we\u2019re in a more accessible, light entertainment space, but still with a public service angle. \u201cRallye 82,\u201d for instance, allows us to address themes like inclusion and empowerment without being overly didactic.<\/p>\n

What types of series projects are you most interested in today?<\/p>\n

We have several editorial pillars. First, event-driven, family-oriented series for key periods like Christmas \u2014 big, unifying shows. Second, geopolitical thrillers, which are harder to finance but important \u2014 like \u201cKabul\u201d or \u201cThe Best Immigrant,\u201d which explores immigration through a Belgian perspective but resonates globally. Third, lighter formats such as romcoms or series like \u201cRallye 82.\u201d Overall, our message is clear: we want to work more with platforms, but the model needs to be economically sustainable for everyone.<\/p>\n

You also oversee film acquisitions. Are movies performing well on France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions?\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re seeing a positive shift: box office performance in France is becoming less predictive of how a film will perform on free-to-air TV. Of course, a theatrical hit still has a better chance of delivering strong ratings, but it\u2019s no longer a given. We\u2019ve seen this very clearly during the 2025\u20132026 season. In key slots like Sunday night on France 2, we\u2019ve aired films that did fewer than 100,000 admissions in theaters and still reached around 2 million viewers. That\u2019s not our highest score, but starting from very low awareness and getting to 2 million means we\u2019ve done our job. Meanwhile, some films that sold over a million tickets in theaters didn\u2019t perform much better on TV. There\u2019s a real desynchronization now. It used to apply mainly to highly formatted films for TV, like big-cast comedies, but that\u2019s not what we\u2019re talking about here. What kind of films are working best for you on free-to-air television?<\/p>\n

What kind of films are working best for you on free-to-air TV?<\/p>\n

They\u2019re often dramedies with familiar but not A-list casts, that didn\u2019t perform strongly in theaters but find a solid audience on TV. For us, that reflects greater audience curiosity. Viewers are more open to discovering content, regardless of the platform. That does influence our pre-buy strategy. We tend to favor films with familiar faces \u2014 not necessarily stars, but recognizable actors. A cast of complete unknowns is more difficult. Interestingly, that matters more than the subject matter. A film can tackle a very tough topic; that\u2019s not an issue. The other key factor is clarity. Films that perform best on free TV tend to have a proposition that\u2019s easy for audiences to grasp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most people watch content online rather than on linear television today. How do you take that into account?\u00a0<\/p>\n

The challenge is that audiences have accelerated their on-demand habits. Replay is now essential \u2014 but it\u2019s no longer enough. In TV fiction, preview has become extremely important. When a series performs well in preview \u2014 meaning strong consumption before linear broadcast \u2014 it\u2019s almost always a strong indicator of success on linear TV. We\u2019re not seeing cannibalization between the two. With films, we can\u2019t do that. Regulation prevents us from offering non-linear access before the first broadcast. The only authorized non-linear window is replay, after linear airing. But what matters is the overall exposure window \u2014 for example, 30 days \u2014 rather than exactly when the linear broadcast happens within that period. So going forward, we may need to rethink this model.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the big message you want to send across at Series Mania?\u00a0<\/p>\n

We need to work together more with streamers. I hope to be able to do things like we did with, for example, ZDF and RAI. With these two partners, there are projects that, at first, were more of a France T\u00e9l\u00e9vision projects \u2013 for example, \u201cKabul<\/a>\u201c\u2014and at some point, it became a joint France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions, ZDF, and RAI project. We were all together in the writers\u2019 room and everyone took ownership of it, and so on. \u201cThe Emperor\u2019s Stone\u201d<\/a> is a project we chose together. We haven\u2019t managed to pull off that kind of project with the streaming platforms yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With budgets tightening across the board, Manuel Alduy, the head of cinema and international fiction at France Televisions,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[93,49894,61,60,165090,140424,282],"class_list":["post-366537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-france-televisions","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-manuel-alduy","tag-series-mania","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}