Distribution in Focus: France TV’s Julia Schulte

As buyers descend on the UK capital for Showcase, London TV Screenings and Mip London this week, Broadcast International speaks to Julia Schulte, senior vice president of international sales at France TV Distribution, about the key trends and challenges facing the business.

As we work across a wide range of genres—from drama series and animation to documentaries and feature film distribution—we naturally face a variety of challenges.

One major issue we all have to contend with is the crisis affecting traditional linear free TV channels, as advertising revenue continues to shift toward digital platforms, and new hyper-distribution strategies.

We therefore need to adapt our approaches and remain flexible. In 2025, this has meant, for example, exploring new windowing opportunities with streaming platforms.

1. Maximise growth for our existing ‘light crime’ TV series collections - which have proven highly successful and are particularly popular with our buyers - by securing new partners in international territories and further expanding sales.

2. Identify early-stage pre-financing partners to secure distribution for our premium drama series and documentary slate, while also pursuing co-production opportunities.

3. Additionally, develop more efficient ways of collaborating with streaming platforms.

We have dedicated AVOD teams that are continuing to grow and are developing tailored strategies to respond to this evolving market. This includes nurturing talent for YouTube channels and launching original productions specifically designed for the AVOD sector.

As I mentioned, we need to create value through innovative windowing strategies to ensure a degree of exclusivity for our partners, even in an era of hyper-distribution.

It is still a bit too early to assess the impact on the distribution side. But we will be able to adapt, whatever the circumstances.

If we were to focus on a single project, it would be a series based on a strong European or international IP, featuring a high-profile cast from France, Europe, or the US, in order to attract international broadcasters at an early financing stage.

We are excited to present a wide range of new projects, including four outstanding series. Sorority (6 x 52 minutes) is our historical thriller produced by Lincoln TV, a gripping, richly cast exploration of late 19th-century Paris, from aristocratic households to the wet nurses who had to abandon their own children to care for the babies of the elite, while Vero Forever (6 x 45 minutes), our black comedy series produced by the Belgium-based Lumière Group, is a high-end social satire on morality that is both engaging and highly entertaining.

We are also proud to present the crime show The Ones Left Behind starring Isabelle Carré (6 x 45 minutes) the first series from Switzerland in our lineup, which explores dark family secrets and the scandal around children placed in care. And the high end historical series and thriller Unchained (6 x 52 minutes) is produced by Tetra Media and is the first series from France TV about the slavery in former French colonies.