Three lots including more than 2,000 hours of TV docs and 19 feature films among holdings being sold
Gédéon Media Group’s assets are to be put up for sale on Friday, Broadcast International has learned, following news that the French factual group is facing bankruptcy.
The call for tenders will run until 18 September, according to Gedeon founder Stéphane Millière, who set up the firm three decades ago.
The four companies comprising Gédéon Media were placed into liquidation on 21 August, with prodcos Gédéon Programmes, MC4, and Docland Yard authorised to continue operations until 21 November.
Distributor Terranoa was shut down immediately.
The call for tenders will cover three lots: TV documentary production (Gédéon Programmes and Docland Yard); theatrical production (MC4); and exhibitions (VR and immersive exhibitions).
Each lot includes its label, back catalogue, ongoing productions, and projects in development.
Millière told Broadcast International: “I am going to help with the process and try to convince potential buyers to keep the teams together with the projects.
“The Gédéon Programmes brand is a strong asset, I believe,” he added, noting that the library includes about 2,000 hours of TV documentaries and 19 theatrical features, plus 30 TV hours and two feature-length films at various stages of production.
When asked why the company could not continue, he said: “It was too late. We probably waited too long. It was an accumulation of factors.
“Things got more difficult during Covid-19, but our really bad year was 2025, when we signed half as many projects, or half the usual 40 hours.”
He explained that an eight-month commissioning freeze at Canal+ pushed some productions back, while pressure on pubcaster France Télévisions had led to a slowdown in decision-making and further budget cuts this year.
“Moreover, our international sales subsidiary Terranoa saw its revenues drop by two-thirds, most minimum guarantees were not recouped, and it stopped generating income for our shows.”
Another cash drain has been the VR and immersive sector, which is not well-funded and qualifies for few public grants, he highlighted.
“They are often projects of around €1.5m. They include fiction, require actors, CGI, and versions in four languages. And we had three of them at the same time.”
In the case of Statue of Liberty, an even more expensive immersive virtual-reality experience that was a US co-venture with the Lady Liberty Initiative 2026, funding was partly coming from foundation donations. “We found out that takes time.”
Regarding big documentaries underway, WNET copro The Statue of Liberty documentary was delivered to Arte, and NHK co-venture The Lost Castle of Azuchi to France Télévisions, he said.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria show - winner of the 2025 Global Doc call for projects and which virtually reconstructs the Seventh Wonder of the World - is nearly completed. Gédéon contributed to funding the archaeological research, Millière noted. The show is a flagship project for the company, which made a name for itself thanks to the Lighthouse’s first underwater explorations 30 years ago.
“The world is changing brutally,” Millière continued. “That fully impacts a company like ours - a 30-year-old firm, with a big structure.
“What I’m interested in is ambitious archaeology projects, and these take three years or so in production. Perhaps that is too long in today’s world.”
The various Gédéon companies have a total staff of 28; including Terranoa, it was 36. Millière added that buyers may not ask him to remain with the company if the assets are sold, but said he wishes to continue working with archaeologists.
“My dream was to create a group sharing the same DNA across TV documentaries, movies, and exhibitions. Nevertheless, it has been an extraordinary story,” he concluded.
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