The agreement between the French film unions and TV and streaming parties will expire this month. This agreement on the chronologie des medias regulates which operator can screen a title and when. Traditionally, a cinema release will be followed by a pay-per-view period. Afterwards, the title can be viewed via paid TV packages, followed by free-to-air television, and finally, a title will be made available on a streaming service.
The order is fixed, but there is room for negotiation: if a party is subject to more than just the legal obligations, and invests in French content, the operation periods may be shortened and the party can offer its users access to films and TV series sooner via its platforms.
On average, there are 15 to 17 months between the release of a film in cinemas and the offering of that film on a streaming service. This is about to change; negotiations on the new system are in full swing. Last week, Disney+ surprised friend and foe by promising (source: screendaily) to invest 25% of its French turnover in French films and TV shows, in exchange for access to films via the platform after nine months rather than 17 months. This way, the service ensures much more fresh produce of content compared to its competitors.
The Dutch market leaves operators like cinemas, TVOD services and TV broadcasters much more room to decide for themselves which title will be screened and when. Besides, exclusivity is not necessary; a cinema release may coincide with availability on Netflix, for example. We do not have the principle of ‘investing more to exploit sooner’.
And yet, there is no harm in giving developments in France a sidelong glance. Broadly speaking, the French film sector is regulated and protected very strictly. That is why Dutch authors and producers refer often to French developments in debates on investment commitments, content quota, tax incentives and remunerations for authors and other creators.
In the coming period, we will be reporting on the similarities and differences of media regulation in European countries here on media report. We do this to give a broader outlook on Dutch developments. Subscribe to the Media Report newsletter (in Dutch) so you won’t miss a thing.
This article was previously published on www.mediareport.nl.
