France Télévisions seeks €150m savings in 2026
November 17, 2025
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
In 2026, French PSB Group France Télévisions will have to make savings of around €150 million according to president Delphine Ernotte Cunci, speaking to business daily Les Échos, as the French government is debating 2026 funding legislation with the National Assembly.
“We must eliminate the 2025 deficit and absorb the reduction in public funding projected at €65 million less to €2.44 billion, ” she stated, against a backdrop of the ad market challenging all channels.
To achieve this cost-cutting measures and reach a zero deficit, France Télévisions is planning difficult choices, leading towards more structural reforms, including a possible staff reduction when the budget decisions will be finalised. Savings might also impact the production system and a cut in creative support.
“There can’t be taboos, even regarding programmes, ” she added, speaking of a reduction of at “least €20 million and that could reach €60 million. We will also have to make adjustments into our local services, both in the regions and overseas.”
In fiction and film, France Télévisions anticipates halting some projects or putting them on hold, though the impact will be to weaken production companies.
The PSB group has already asked producers of unscripted content to reduce budgets by 5 per cent the summer. But now, all producers will be concerned.
The savings will also affect sports rights while in the last year France Télévisions has worked to retain main sport rights such as those for Roland-Garros tennis, The Tour de France and the Olympics. Some of these could be sold, the group admits.
“Options for reducing our DTT coverage are also being studied. This would involvw reducing the number of transmitters used, given that more and more areas are covered by Fibre,” she noted.
Amid the gloomy outlook, France Télévisions’ president is committed to preserve three areas: news coverage, youth programming and new technology investment, such asa into AI so as to help reduce production costs.
As in other countries, the French public service broadcast and radio groups are regularly the target of some political groups whose aim is to make them weaker, sold to private interests or disappear completely.
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