France Televisions Shows Its Support for Animation

France Televisions underscored its dedication to creating new animation at its annual news conference at the Annecy International Film Festival.

The public broadcaster spent last year $39.3 million on animation, co-producing 155 hours of programming, airing 4,200 hours of youth programming over four channels and dedicated two-thirds of its airtime to in-house productions, reports Variety.

The No. 1 animation backer in Europe picked up the series Noddy from Gaumont Animation and Charley Goes to School from Les Armateurs. From the United States, France Televisions has nabbed DreamWorks Animation’s Dragons: Riders of Berk, Warner Bros./Renegade’s The Tom & Jerry Show, Nick’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man.

It also picked up Mofy, from Sony Creative Products, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, from 9 Story Entertainment.

“Among our many creative activities acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, animation ranks among the most rewarding to us,” Remy Pflimlin, France Televisions CEO, told the trade. “Fulfilling its missions and its ambitions, public services accounts for half of annual orders for animated films in France.”