European Producers Must Get Bigger to Compete, Says EU Policy Chief: “We Must Invest in Companies”

European Union media policy officials say European production companies need stronger, more reliable financing to compete with US studios, streaming services and digital platforms. At a conference in Rome, they argued that investing in companies, rather than only individual productions, could help European producers grow while keeping control of the intellectual property they create.

The discussion comes amid a wave of consolidation: Sky has agreed to buy ITV’s UK broadcast and streaming operations for $2.1 billion, RTL is combining with Sky Deutschland, and Italy’s MediaForEurope has taken control of Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1. Industry representatives say European producers can make international hits but are often too small to sustain success or retain rights. A proposed European Investment Fund aims to connect private institutional investors with media projects that could find audiences worldwide.