Amazon buys first local French dramas

Le Sang de la Vigne

Le Sang de la Vigne

Amazon Prime Video is going a step further in the French market, with its first acquisitions of new local series for its service there.

Amazon, which has just become available on Apple TVs after a long period of wrangling, is adding a number of French dramas this December.

These include deals with Newen Distribution for police series Le Sang de la Vigne (Blood of the Vine), Candice Renoir, and Witnesses, and France Télévisions Distribution for Capitaine Marleau.

Following these agreements, Amazon picked up AB International Distribution’s mockumentary Fais Pas ci, Fais Pas ça (Desperate Parents) and About Premium Content’s crime series Contact.

Amazon Prime Video France is currently offering a bouquet of twelce local series, and will soon add the 8x52mins Black Spot (Zone Blanche), which comes from AB/Ego Productions.

Amazon’s content line-up in most of its 200 operational territories is mainly comprised of US acquisitions and originals such as Man in the High Castle and international shows, including The Grand Tour.

Amazon Prime Video France is currently offering a bouquet of 12 local series, and plans to add shortly and internationally, Black Spot (Zone Blanche, 8 x 52’) from AB/Ego Productions.

This will be the first French series to be internationally carried on the service after animated titles Oggy and the Coackroaches and Zig & Sharko, both of which are from Xilam.

As reported by trade newsletter Satellifax, Amazon Prime Video France, which is managed by Eric Bergaglia and Isabelle Bertrand for acquisitions, will soon begin to involved itself in local production and coproduction.

Exclusive local content will be the next step in the development of the platform, which wants to be more French and close to the viewers.

Similar moves have already been made in other countries – Amazon currently has 76 TV projects and 20 movies being developed or produced globally, 30% of which will be exclusive.

Amazon Prime Video is available in France free of additional charge to all subscribers of the Amazon Prime shopping service for €49 (US$58) per year.

Viewers can also get the service alone for €3.99 per month until April 1, 2018, after which the fee will jump to €5.99. No subscription figures have been released.

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