Group M6 tops formats buyer chart in France but total commissions decline

The A Talks, France (Source: Can’t Stop Media)

Group M6 distinguished itself as the biggest formats player in France last year, according to La Fabrique des Formats’ annual research, while the number of entertainment launches dropped back from a peak in 2022.

The total number of unscripted entertainment shows launching in the country last year amounted to 34, a figure down compared to an unusually hire figure of 50 in 2022.

The 1% Club UK (Source: BBCS)

Group M6 was responsible for 14 shows, or 40% of the total, that were commissioned for its main channel as well as for younger targeting W9 and its digital platform.

Six commissions were format adaptations, while eight were original French shows, with major launches including Destination X – albeit to disappointing ratings, as opposed to The Traitors which will have its third season this summer.

France Télévisions, which has become more active over recent years, launched nine new shows. Only two of these were international format adaptations although one of these – The Floor – successfully took over in the Saturday strand from The 1% Club, the latter having become a major hit last year.

Group TF1’s decline continued with only six shows launching on the various TF1 channels, a figure down from 11 four years ago. Half of these were format adaptations.

The focus among the global streamers was on Prime Video, which tried a couple of new shows last year including a Halloween spin-off to its hit LOL Laughing Out Loud (known as Screaming Out Loud!). For this year, it has already commissioned a reboot of Popstars.

France’s format breakdown

Out of the 34 new shows in 2023, French originals accounted for 20 and new foreign formats totalled 10, with three spin-offs and one reboot.

That numbers follow a strong 2022 but demand remains solid especially on the spin-off and reboot front, with TF1 recently relaunching Secret Story and M6 reviving The Price Is Right, putting the gameshow into an access primetime slot normally reserved for fact-ent.

French groups were responsible for 15 of the 34 new shows (eight at Banijay, five at Satisfaction, two at Mediawan), representing a similar share of the total compared to 2022.

Call My Agent: Bollywood

Smaller French indies secured fewer commissions, with seven new shows, while the number of shows by foreign group’s French subsidiaries rebounded to six, mostly thanks to ITV Studios France. Broadcasters’ subsidiaries were also responsible for six.

In terms of French original creations, Banijay, smaller French indies and broadcasters’ subsidiaries were the most active, with five shows each.

As for exports, Satisfaction’s Anything Goes remains the French champion, with five new foreign adaptations or seasons launching last year (in Italy, Portugal, Mexico, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia).

A newcomer among top French exporters is autistic interviews format The A-Talks (distributed by Can’t Stop Media), which sold as a readymade to Belgium and was adapted in Poland, Spain and Denmark, as well as the UK on BBC One and iPlayer as The Assembly.

Another growth show is Banijay’s adventure reality daily show Good Luck Guys (aka Les Apprentis Aventuriers, which is in its fifth season on W9). It launched in four Prime Video Nordic countries (having been renewed in a number of them already), as well as in Germany and the Netherlands.

In scripted, Call My Agent added four more adaptations last year.