Anna Marsh, CEO of StudioCanal, Deputy CEO of Canal+ and Chief Content Officer of Canal+ France, was among the speakers at MIA – Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo, where, in a session moderated by Gaia Tridente, Director of MIA, she shared her vision for the future of the European audiovisual industry and strategies to strengthen its international competitiveness.
At the heart of the discussion was the evolution of the European studio model: an integrated structure bringing together production, financing, distribution and intellectual property management, with the aim of turning local stories into content capable of reaching global audiences.
Marsh’s professional career reflects this vision. After moving to France in the early 2000s to attend business school, she began her career in international distribution, gaining first-hand knowledge of different markets and their cultural specificities. This experience enabled her to understand how content can travel across borders, provided distribution strategies are tailored to different audiences.
For Marsh, the challenge lies in striking a balance between creativity and financial sustainability, supporting the work of directors, screenwriters and industry professionals while ensuring the long-term value of intellectual property.
In this context, StudioCanal plays a central role in Canal+’s strategy. According to figures cited during the session, the group operates in approximately 70 territories and has around 40 million subscribers. With a catalogue of more than 18,000 titles and an international network of production companies, the group aims to strengthen content circulation and develop new commercial opportunities.
South Africa is also emerging as a key growth market. Rich in talent and creative potential, the country represents an opportunity for Canal+ and StudioCanal to support local production and bring African stories to international audiences.
The starting point remains Europe’s cultural wealth: the diversity of its languages, the depth of its history and the plurality of its identities represent an extraordinary storytelling resource. As Marsh emphasised, the challenge is to turn this wealth into a global competitive advantage through investment, strategic rights management and ongoing collaboration between creativity and business.
Photo Credits: ©2026 Mia — Courtesy of Mia
