SERIES MANIA: Formal coproduction alliances are springing up across Europe as broadcasters unite to fight against the global streamers, and it’s a topic that will certainly drive conversations in Lille this week.

In an era of global streaming dominance and shrinking production budgets, European broadcasters – both public and private – are forging powerful collaborative networks to create high-end drama series that can compete on the international stage.

The landscape of European drama production is fundamentally changing as a consequence, with partnerships and alliance becoming paramount in the fight against the global streaming powerhouses. Executives from leading Euro broadcasters tell C21 how strategic alliances are becoming a lifeline for creative and financial survival.

European Alliance-backed political drama Kabul

As Manuel Alduy, head of cinema and international and young-adult fiction at France Télévisions, candidly explains, broadcasters are now looking beyond domestic boundaries to create shows they simply cannot afford to make alone. “Right now, the European Alliance is a way of producing series that we don’t do domestically,” he notes, highlighting the critical financial motivation behind the coproduction partnership that unites public broadcasters France Télévisions , Rai of Italy and ZDF in Germany.

“That’s the objective. So right now, we have three series. Two are ready: Kabul is one; The Kollective is another. And we are developing together an adventure series called The Emperor’s Stone, which is more family orientated, more mainstream than the two other examples.”

Manuel Alduy

Kabul (6×52’) is about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and is produced by Mediawan’s 24 25 Films and Cinétévé, with Mediawan Rights handling distribution. The Kollective (6×60’), meanwhile, is being made by Submarine Productions (Netherlands) with Menuetto Film (Belgium), with Hulu attached for US rights and Videoland taking Dutch rights.

“We are trying to get internationally what we don’t get at home. So for France TV, it’s very simple. We don’t want any crime series. We don’t want any French period drama. We don’t want any series about our books and literature. It’s not because we don’t like that; it’s just because we already do it ourselves. When we go internationally, it’s to find something else.

“It can be adventure. It can be a big romance. It can be current affairs. A couple of years ago, we had a lot of series about the state of the world, covering things like climate change, fake news, democracy, free speech… Now we are trying to have more positive series, with a lighter tone, and more escapism.”

The European Alliance has since been joined by the New8 partnership, comprising ZDF (Germany), NPO (The Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RÚV (Iceland) and NRK (Norway).

Then there’s the Scandi Alliance between TV4 Play in Sweden, TV2 in Denmark and Norway’s TV2. The Scandi Alliance was forged as a commercial response to the existing Nordic 12 collaboration of public broadcasters DR in Denmark, Finland’s YLE, SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway and Iceland’s RÚV.

Each one has its unique approach. The European Alliance initially focused on period dramas before expanding into more diverse genres including crime thrillers. The New8 brings together eight broadcasters across eight European countries, while the Scandi Alliance concentrates on pan-Scandinavian stories with shared cultural DNA.

The fledgling Scandi Alliance revealed its first scripted project earlier this year: Royal Blood (Blatt Blod), a historical drama from Fremantle-owned Miso Film. The six-part miniseries unravels the dramatic power struggles between the Nordic royal houses during an era of geopolitical change, spanning from 1807 to 1814.

Royal Blood: ‘a uniquely Scandinavian project’

“Royal Blood stood out as a magnificent and uniquely Scandinavian project that fully embodies the vision, we had set out for the Scandi Alliance,” Alice Sommer, TV2 Norway’s head of drama, said when the project was unveiled in January. “The series brings a unique and authentic Scandinavian perspective to the global fascination of royal history, offering a fresh take on an era yet unexplored in this region, and told with boldness and historical depth.”

Christian Rank, Jonas Allen and Peter Bose are attached as executive producers, while Fremantle will handle global distribution. The series will premiere in 2027. The Scandi Alliance is now inviting the industry to submit entries for its second big drama project, which is set to premiere in 2029.

Mette Nelund, head of drama at TV2 Denmark, explains what the partnership is looking for: “We have sent a joint letter to partners, producers and others with an invitation to pitch our next project. We are looking for a one-season series that resonates with a broad audience across the three countries. We know that comedy shows are difficult to match across Scandinavia. We are also somewhat lukewarm when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy.”

The financial imperative
Aside from the content issues driving such pacts, the financial imperative is stark. Smaller markets like Finland and Belgium simply cannot produce high-end drama without international partnerships. But these alliances are not just financial arrangements, they are creative collaborations that aim to produce truly distinctive content. Marianne Furevold-Boland, head of drama at Norway’s NRK, articulates this idea by describing collaboration as a “superpower” that allows broadcasters to evolve and survive in a rapidly changing industry.

Marianne Furevold-Boland

“We all agree that we need to share good content, but it’s about having different strategies in different times. I had the fortune to produce a show that was very local, Skam, that travelled beyond our wildest dreams. That showed us that we are humans who share the same dreams. We share the same hopes. And if there’s a story that resonates with us, it doesn’t matter where it’s from, and the last couple of years in the drama world have shown us that.

“As public broadcasters, we also have an obligation to share stories that can open up perspectives, open up new conversations, especially in these times. We are living in a polarised world, so it is important that we share our local content and find the common themes that unite us.”

Over at VRT, commissioning editor and international drama executive Elly Vervloet says the first project the broadcaster is contributing to New8 – the light crime series This is Not a Murder Mystery – was possible only through collaborative financing involving multiple funds, tax incentives and, of course, the New8 partners.

“The financing was really a huge challenge. There is a substantial amount of money coming from Belgium. We gathered all the partners: the Belgian Tax Shelter; the Flemish Audiovisual Fund, Screen Brussels, Screen Flanders, RTL, Proximus and the New8 partners. Thanks to the New8, we could really greenlight production. Then StudioCanal came onboard and we also received funding from Eurimage and Creative Europe Media Fund.”

She also explains why This is Not a Murder Mystery is in English rather than a Belgian language. “It’s an intriguing whodunnit with a surrealist edge. We are the land of surrealism so this show tells the story of Rene Magritte, whose life changes profoundly when he visits the UK to meet other surrealists like Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Man Ray and Lee Miller,” she says.

“Usually, we commission series in our own language. But with this series, we thought it needs to be authentic, and it would be very odd to see Salvador Dali speaking in Flemish. Also, English was the organic language that they used, because they did come together in the UK in 1936 for an art exhibition in London. It’s a first for VRT so it is a bit risky for a public broadcaster commissioning for a primetime slot on our first channel, so we’ll see.”

Regarding the increasing collabs between Nordic nets, Nelund at TV2 Denmark emphasises the importance of creating “organic pan-Scandinavian stories” that have genuine relevance across different countries. This isn’t just about financial efficiency or pooling resources, but about “finding universal narratives that resonate beyond national borders,” she says.

This is Not a Murder Mystery is a whodunnit with a surrealist edge

The projects emerging from these collaborations are remarkably diverse. NRK’s powerful true-crime drama Holmlia Love (6×60’) tells a heart-wrenching true story about a community confronting neo-Nazi violence, based on the murder of 15 -year-old Benjamin Hermansen by two Neo-Nazis, which shook Norway in 2001.

NRK’s head of drama Furevold-Boland explains that the project speaks to universal themes of community trauma and healing. “We need to create stories that say something about our past and our present, so we can go into the future maybe a bit wiser,” she argues.

“We said 20 years ago that we would never forget Benjamin, but I’m afraid that we might have. So it’s important that we create stories that says something about our past and our present, so we can go into the future, maybe a bit more wiser, but also making sure that it can be a better place to be,” she says.

And although the Hermansen case is part of recent Norwegian social history, that doesn’t mean the story won’t click with overseas audiences. “We are living in challenging times and we are a much more polarised society, so a community going through this kind of suffering, this trauma, is becoming a universal theme unfortunately.”

A case of affordability
Jarmo Lampela, head of drama at YLE in Finland, highlights how these partnerships allow smaller markets to create more ambitious content. “If we want to make shows that are bigger than we can afford, we have to work together,” he explains, echoing a sentiment shared by the other execs.

Jarmo Lampela

The Nordic collaborations have been particularly transformative, he says, providing Finnish producers with opportunities to reach wider audiences. He agrees with VRT’s Vervloet that language is no longer a barrier.

The collaborative model extends beyond financing. These alliances involve deep creative cooperation, with broadcasters sharing development notes, discussing projects transparently and co-developing content from early stages.

Alduy explains France Televisions’ approach: “We try to speak with one voice among the broadcasters, so the creators and producers don’t get mad.”

However, challenges remain. The key UK market, in particular, seems hesitant to fully embrace this collaborative model. Alduy notes that France Televisions has had some discussions about potential copro proposals with UK partners, but many still feel “too British-centric” and lack genuine international perspective.

Vervloet agrees, suggesting that UK broadcasters need to “retrain their commissioners” to embrace true international collaboration. “If you’re doing English-language drama but it’s not rooted in the UK, it’s difficult for them to take it in. I hope this will change because there is so much good content made in Europe, and more and more English-language drama.

“The situation in the UK is changing but it will take a while. I hope that UK market will open up and that we can collaborate and it’s reciprocal; it’s about give and take, sharing knowledge, sharing budgets and building trust. But it takes time, and it’s a cultural shift.”

While European execs grapple with the cultural issues between partners, the financial mechanics of these alliances are equally complex but promising. By pooling resources, broadcasters can create shows with budgets reaching up to three million euros per episode – a scale impossible for individual national broadcasters.

Nelund points out that the Scandi Alliance can now potentially finance projects up to €8million per episode, a significant leap for smaller markets in Europe. The potential for growth is significant. These alliances are not just about making shows, but about creating a new, more robust, innovative European drama ecosystem.

Skam, a Norwegian hit that travelled the world

By pooling resources, sharing risks and focusing on compelling, universal storytelling, these broadcasters are developing a powerful alternative to global streaming platforms.

Digital platforms are also changing the game. While traditional linear scheduling remains important, broadcasters are increasingly thinking about audience-first strategies. Vervloet explains that VRT is transitioning from channel-based to audience-targeted commissioning, a shift that opens up new possibilities for international coproductions. The creative approach is equally strategic.

As Lampela notes, these collaborations are about more than just financing – they’re about creating diverse, compelling programming that reflects the complexity of modern European audiences. Vervloet sums up the collective sentiment thus: “Collaboration is the future. It’s about sharing knowledge, sharing budgets and building trust.”

Furevold-Boland adds that sharing experiences in a “trustworthy framework” is crucial for industry evolution. As the industry continues to evolve, these strategic alliances represent more than just a financial strategy – they’re a creative revolution, reimagining how compelling television can be produced in an increasingly competitive global market.

The message is clear: in an era of global entertainment, European broadcasters are proving that unity is not just strength, but a pathway to extraordinary storytelling. By breaking down national barriers and embracing collaborative creativity, they are writing a new chapter in television production – one that promises to be more diverse, more innovative and more compelling than ever before.

This article is based in part on interviews and sessions from Content London 2024.