European drama performance in 2023

The aim of the study is to analyze the development in audiences for audiovisual drama on television and SVOD services, and to understand the dynamics of the sector in France, Spain, Italy, the UK, French-speaking Belgium and French-speaking Switzerland.

Drama continues to occupy a prime position on television, with some of the highest audience figures every year. In France, excluding sports, 7 drama titles will be in the top 10 for television audiences in 2023. Local programs are still well represented in France, Germany, Italy and the UK, unlike Spain, which imports almost all its content, and Belgium and Switzerland, which feature a large proportion of French content in their charts. Finally, crime drama remains a particularly popular genre in France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.

While American content still dominates the SVOD services audience rankings , French content is enjoying real growth, notably with Lupin, ranked asthe 3rd most viewed content in 2023.

The Arcom study was presented on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at the drama serie festivalin La Rochelle, by Antoine Boilley, member of the Arcom college and chairman of the "Audiovisual, cinematic and musical creation and production" working group.

Find below the presentation of the study.