M+E Europe
Whip Media: French Viewers Love Streaming … Local Content
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French viewers prefer streaming services with locally produced content, watch content produced in the broader European Union at a very high rate and are unique among European viewers in that they favour original content over library content.
That’s according to a new Whip Media white paper which surveyed nearly 3,000 consumers in France to understand consumer sentiment surrounding paid streaming.
“Most markets show some preference for locally produced content, but the French stand apart. France has a strong tradition of protecting its culture and that informs the production and consumption of video content there,” the report reads. “This is reflected in their consumption rate of homegrown content, which is among the highest of the major EU territories. Indeed, French satisfaction among some local SVODs competes well with that of the global services.”
Survey respondents subscribe to an average of 2.7 paid subscription services with 86 percent subscribing to Netflix, by far the most popular service in France. Netflix leads all services with 42 French productions available on major international platforms as originals during the fourth quarter of 2021.
Local platforms Arte and Canal+ VOD are two of the local services that were rated highly in terms of overall service satisfaction in France.
When asked about the EUs Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) — where streaming services must devote at least a 30 percent quota to European content — 69 percent of respondents in France favour it.
However, 56 percent of respondents said there are too many subscription services, pointing to cost as a significant factor in why. And 30 percent cancelled at least one service this past year. Fifty-eight percent of French consumers said they prefer to pay for an ad-free service.
To access the full report, click here.
