SELL

What SELL does

SELL (Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs) is a French non-profit professional trade association founded in 1995 and headquartered at 42 avenue Kléber in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It represents 25 video game and leisure software publishers operating in France, including major international publishers such as Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, and Warner Interactive, alongside French independent studios including Microids and Quantic Dream. According to SELL's own market data aggregated through the GfK panel, its members collectively account for over 90% of the French video game sector's revenue.

SELL's core activities span three reinforcing lines of work. First, it organizes the association's two flagship industry events: Paris Games Week, the largest French public video game consumer show held annually at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, and IDEF (Interactive & Digital Entertainment Festival), the premier B2B trade event for the French video game industry. Second, it produces authoritative market research publications — the annual Bilan Marché and recurring L'Essentiel du Jeu Vidéo studies — that document the size, structure, and player demographics of the French gaming market (reported at €5.856 billion in 2025 with 40.2 million players, the second highest historical level). Third, it operates the national responsible gaming infrastructure, promoting the PEGI classification system (homologated by the French Ministry of the Interior in December 2015), running public PEGI awareness campaigns, supporting the PédagoJeux educational platform (active since 2008), and directing families to console manufacturer parental control tools. SELL is affiliated with ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe) for European policy coordination.

The association is funded entirely by membership fees from its 25 publisher members and is governed by an elected Board of Directors composed of member representatives. Leadership currently sits with President James Rebours (DG France de Plaion, elected March 2023), succeeding Julie Chalmette (Bethesda, 2016–2022), with Emmanuel Martin serving as Délégué Général. The small professional team includes Anne Sophie Montadier (Directrice Communication, Marketing & RSE) and Meryl Pioche (Responsable Marketing). SELL is not a technology company: its competitive position rests on incumbency, regulatory recognition, and event brand equity rather than proprietary technology.

Name

SELL

Legal name

Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs

Website

https://sell.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SELL is a French non-profit trade association founded in 1995 representing 25 video game publishers in France. It organizes Paris Games Week and IDEF, publishes annual French gaming market research, and runs PEGI classification and responsible gaming programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association Services

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Video game trade association
• Industry advocacy services
• Market research publishing
• Industry event organization
• Responsible gaming promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: The SELL is funded by membership fees from its 25 member companies (video game publishers operating in France). This is the primary revenue stream sustaining the association's operations, advocacy, events, and research activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SELL is a French professional trade association (syndicat professionnel) that represents the collective interests of 25 video game and leisure software publishers operating in France. Its core offerings include industry advocacy before public authorities, the organization of flagship events (Paris Games Week and IDEF), the publication of market research reports (L'Essentiel du Jeu Vidéo, Bilan Marché), and the promotion of responsible gaming through PEGI classification campaigns and parental control initiatives.

Product overview

SELL (Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs) is a French professional association representing video game publishers. Rather than offering a unified software product, SELL provides a portfolio of industry services including event organization (Paris Games Week, IDEF), market research publications (L'Essentiel du Jeu Vidéo), responsible gaming initiatives (PEGI, PédaGoJeux, parental control systems), and video content production (Player Profile, Checkpoint, Terrains de Jeux documentary series).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paris Games Week
• IDEF (Interactive & Digital Entertainment Festival)
• L'Essentiel du Jeu Vidéo / Bilan Marché
• PEGI Awareness & Parental Control Promotion
• PédaGoJeux
• Video Content Series (Player Profile, Checkpoint, Terrains de Jeux)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women in Games FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL co-founded Women in Games France, an association dedicated to promoting gender diversity and encouraging women to join the video game industry in France. Julie Chalmette (then SELL President) served as Vice-President of WIG France. The partnership involves joint initiatives around training, awareness, and mutual support for gender equality in the French gaming sector.
• ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL is affiliated with ISFE, the European federation of video game publishers. SELL participates in and endorses ISFE-led initiatives including PEGI (Pan European Game Information), consumer transparency commitments on loot boxes and drop rates, responsible gaming campaigns, and engagement with European institutions on gaming policy.
• PEGI (Pan European Game Information)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL actively supports and promotes PEGI, the European video game content classification system covering 38 countries. SELL distributes PEGI guides, runs awareness campaigns, and represents the PEGI system in France. Emmanuel Martin (SELL's Délégué Général) serves as a PEGI administrator in France.
• Philharmonie de ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL is a partner of the Philharmonie de Paris for video game-related cultural events, supporting the institution's opening of its doors to video game culture and art.
• Green Games Summit / UkieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL is a Global Supporter of the Green Games Summit, organized by UKIE (UK video game association) in collaboration with ISFE and the UNEP Playing for the Planet alliance. The summit addresses sustainability and environmental action in the video game industry ahead of COP26.
• PédaGoJeux (UNAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL supports and collaborates with PédaGoJeux.fr, an initiative animated by the Union Nationale des Associations Familiales (UNAF). The platform provides parents and educators with information on responsible gaming practices, parental control tools, and video game education. Active since 2008.
• Playing for the Planet Alliance (UNEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL participates in the Playing for the Planet Alliance convened by the United Nations Environment Programme, engaging in environmental sustainability initiatives for the video game industry.
• Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL collaborates with the CNC on video game industry support mechanisms including the Crédit d'Impôt Jeu Vidéo (video game tax credit) and the Fonds d'aide au jeu vidéo (FAJV). The CNC co-manages several financial support programs for the French video game sector.
• Join the Game campaign partners (DGE, Business France, CNC, SNJV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL partnered with the Direction Générale des Entreprises (DGE), Business France, CNC, and SNJV on the 'Join the Game' campaign (2019), promoting France's attractiveness as a destination for video game studios and publishers currently based in the UK.
• ESAVIRTUAL / ESA (US)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL participated in the ESA Virtual event series on video games and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic (July 2021), joining global video game associations committed to sharing research and best practices on responsible gaming.
• IndieCade EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParis Games Week (organized by SELL) is a partner of IndieCade Europe, the international independent video game festival held at the Bibliothèque nationale de France in 2019. PGW supports indie game visibility and innovation.
• ARTE FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSELL partnered with ARTE France on the 'Retrogaming Made In France' web series, a 10-episode documentary celebrating French video game heritage, broadcast ahead of Paris Games Week 2019. Also partnered with CNC, BnF, Cité des Sciences, and Forum des Images.
• Cité du design (Saint-Étienne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL was a partner of the 'Design-moi un jeu vidéo' exhibition at the Cité du design in Saint-Étienne (November 2018), showcasing 45 games themed around game design with 30 playable demonstrations and a RANDOM laboratory installation.
• Espace Fondation EDFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSELL supported the 'Game, le jeu vidéo à travers le temps' exhibition at the Espace Fondation EDF in Paris (March-August 2017), featuring 60 games including 30 playable installations tracing the history and cultural impact of video games.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• game — Verband der deutschen Games-Branche: The German Games Industry Association, representing publishers and developers in Germany — the largest neighboring games market to France. game is structurally comparable to SELL (national trade body with research, events, and policy advocacy) but operates primarily in Germany, not in SELL's core French territory.

Direct peers

• SNJV — Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo: The French national trade union for video game developers and the workforce. SELL partners with SNJV on campaigns like 'Join the Game' alongside DGE, Business France, and CNC, making SNJV a closely related domestic peer with complementary (publisher vs. developer) representation.
• IGDA — International Game Developers Association: The international not-for-profit membership organization for game developers. While IGDA focuses on the developer side (rather than the publisher side that SELL primarily represents), it carries out adjacent functions — research, advocacy, networking, and education — making it a directly comparable association model even if the constituency differs.
• ISFE — Interactive Software Federation of Europe: SELL is the French national affiliate of ISFE, the pan-European federation of video game publishers. ISFE runs PEGI, manages EU-level lobbying, and coordinates consumer-facing transparency initiatives — directly mirroring SELL's role at the French national level. SELL explicitly endorses and participates in ISFE-led programs.
• ESA — Entertainment Software Association: The US trade association for video game publishers, organizer of E3 (historically) and a major global policy advocate. SELL participated in the ESA Virtual event series on games and well-being during COVID-19. ESA is the most established peer globally and serves as a model for national advocacy structures.
• UKIE: UKIE is the UK trade body for the interactive entertainment industry. SELL and UKIE co-organize initiatives such as the Green Games Summit / Playing for the Planet Alliance, making UKIE the closest structural equivalent of SELL in another major European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sell_jeuxvideo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SELLTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/SELL.JeuxVideo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/s.e.l.l.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SELL