Canal+’s Anna Marsh on French Media Giant’s Growing Global Reach

After a busy year that’s seen the Canal+ Group complete a wave of acquisitions across two continents, Anna Marsh, the CEO of Studiocanal and the deputy CEO and chief content officer for Canal+, insisted such moves have been instrumental in strengthening the position of the French media giant at a time of unprecedented industry disruption.

“It’s really important to have a fresh perspective. People that are going to challenge the status quo. Because the business is moving so fast,” said the New Zealand-born exec, who appeared in conversation at Rome’s MIA Market on Wednesday with MIA head Gaia Tridente.

“The audience is so tough that we constantly need to be looking at ourselves in the mirror. AI is emerging right now. We’ve got enormous consolidation in the U.S. Looking at the different ways that the borders between pay TV and free TV are colliding,” Marsh continued.

“There are so many questions to ask. Nobody has all the answers. When we’re able to expand, when we’re able to acquire new companies and enter into new territories, it’s truly enriching.”

Marsh was speaking in Rome on the heels of GREENLit, MIA’s flagship drama showcase, which offered an exclusive first look at four upcoming international series, among them “Gucci: Game Over,” a six-episode miniseries based on Allegra Gucci’s memoir that’s co-produced by Sky Studios and Lucky Red and distributed internationally by Studiocanal.

Marsh praised the series as a testament to “the culture, the courage, the history that Europe’s been blessed with,” while insisting to the assembled industry professionals in the room, “I think Europe has a great future when it comes to storytelling. And the depth of the stories that we can tell here is absolutely endless.”

The Canal+ Group acquired a majority stake in Lucky Red, the Rome-based distribution and production company, in February. It was the latest in a series of moves…