Heritage Films

French Audiences’ Enduring Affinity for Heritage Films

• Nearly 90% of French people report watching heritage films, primarily to rewatch them, but also because of their cult status. Recommendations play a particularly important role among 18–34-year-olds.
• Television remains the primary viewing platform, although its use continues to decline steadily, followed by subscription video-on-demand (SVOD).

Sustained Growth in Theatrical Attendance, Reaching the Second-Highest Level in 20 Years: 3.9 Million Admissions

• A slight increase compared with 2024 (+1.0%), against a backdrop of a significant decline in overall theatrical attendance (-14.0%).
• French distributors remain highly active, with six represented in the top 10.
• Distributors’ efforts are paying off: nearly 20% of admissions come from films receiving theatrical re-releases, which accounted for 6% of all films in 2025.
• The market is driven by arthouse films, which account for more than 80% of admissions and eight titles in the top 10, including the top-ranked film, Microcosmos: The Grass People.

Physical Video and Television Channels: Key Markets for Heritage Films

• 3.8 million DVDs and Blu-rays sold, a relatively stable volume compared with 2024 (-1.8%), in a market that declined by 14.1% year over year.
• A less favorable trend in transactional video-on-demand (TVOD), with 4.8 million transactions, down 14.3%, compared with a 10.3% decline across all films.
• SVOD viewing remains stable (-1.3% vs. 2024), compared with a 3.0% decline across all films. Viewing is driven primarily by American films on Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video.
• Television audiences remain stable year over year (-1.5%), despite a challenging environment in which audiences for all films declined by 9.3%. French heritage films continue to perform particularly well.

Improving the Discoverability of Heritage Films: A Key Challenge

• 55% of French people say they often or sometimes struggle to find the heritage film they want to watch, turning primarily to SVOD or broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD) services.
• In 2025, 62.2% of films released between 1996 and 2005 were available through at least one distribution channel, primarily through VOD (58.3%) and SVOD (46.0%).
• Digitization funding plays a vital role in giving works a new lease on life and making them available for further exploitation.