CAPA

What CAPA does

CAPA is a Paris-based audiovisual production company founded in 1989 by Hervé Chabalier, operating as CAPA DEVELOPPEMENT and organized into three production divisions. CAPA Presse is described as France's first documentary producer, creating documentaries, reportages, documentary series, and magazine programs across geopolitics, investigation, history, science, and wildlife for French broadcasters and international platforms. CAPA Drama, established in 1994, produces international fiction (series, mini-series, and unit films) distributed through streaming platforms and TV channels in more than 170 countries. CAPA Corporate delivers editorial-style content—video, photo, graphic design, web, and event services—to approximately 100 regular brand, enterprise, and institutional clients, with named productions such as 'Rencontres essentielles' for Malakoff Humanis.

The group's underlying capability is its editorial and storytelling methodology, anchored in the photojournalist Robert Capa's philosophy and recognized through 5 Prix Albert-Londres awards, 1 International Emmy Award, and 18 Deauville Green Awards. CAPA's technology stack is not disclosed beyond standard audiovisual production; there is no indication of proprietary platforms, AI tooling, or developer-facing products. Distribution operates through direct sales to French broadcasters (France TV, Canal+), international streaming platforms, and direct corporate client engagements, supported by separate social media channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn) for each division and the CAPA Pictures photography sub-brand.

CAPA generates revenue through one-time licensing and production fees for commissioned content across its three divisions. There is no subscription, SaaS, or platform-based monetization model in evidence, and pricing is bespoke per project. The company has been a subsidiary of STUDIO TF1, a diversified French media group, for an undisclosed period; no ownership history or M&A detail is disclosed in the source material. No funding rounds, venture investment, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

CAPA

Legal name

CAPA DEVELOPPEMENT

Website

https://capatv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CAPA is a Paris-based audiovisual production company operating three divisions—CAPA Presse (documentary), CAPA Drama (international fiction), and CAPA Corporate (B2B communications)—producing commissioned content for French broadcasters, global streaming platforms, and roughly 100 corporate clients, and is a subsidiary of STUDIO TF1.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television and Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Retrieval, Distribution & Reuse Workflows (Interoperability/APIs) (MPAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Documentary production
• Television production
• Fiction series production
• Corporate video production
• Audiovisual production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Content Production and Licensing: CAPA produces documentaries, series, dramas, and corporate content for broadcasters, TV channels, and streaming platforms. Revenue is generated through production fees, licensing deals, and broadcast rights for content distributed in France and internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CAPA is a French audiovisual production company operating through three divisions: CAPA Presse (documentaries, reportages, documentary series, and magazine shows for broadcasters), CAPA Drama (international fiction series, mini-series, and TV films distributed to over 170 countries), and CAPA Corporate (video, photo, graphic design, web, and event production services for brands, enterprises, and institutions).

Product overview

CAPA is an audiovisual production company organized into three main production divisions under a unified brand. CAPA Presse is the leading documentary producer in France, offering documentaries, reportages, documentary series, and magazine programs. CAPA Drama specializes in international fiction, producing series, mini-series, and unit films. CAPA Corporate provides corporate communication services including video, photo, graphic design, web, and event production. All three divisions share the agency's editorial approach and storytelling methodology, with productions distributed through major French broadcasters, international platforms, and corporate clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAPA Presse: First documentary producer in France, producing documentaries, reportages, documentary series, and TV shows across genres including geopolitics, investigation, history, science, and wildlife.
• CAPA Drama
• CAPA Corporate
• CAPA Pictures

Products and services

• CAPA Presse The first documentary producer in France, creating documentaries, reportages, documentary series, and magazine programs for all French and international broadcasters and platforms. Covers genres including geopolitics, investigation, history, science, and wildlife.
• CAPA Drama International fiction production division creating series, mini-series, and unit films. Content is distributed in more than 170 countries through platforms and television channels. Notable productions include 'Marie-Antoinette' for Canal+.
• CAPA Corporate Corporate communications division offering video, photo, graphic design, web, and event production services for brands, companies, and institutions. Maintains approximately 100 regular clients and produces content such as 'Rencontres essentielles' for Malakoff Humanis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 Prix Albert-Londres awards received since creation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Banijay Group: Banijay is the largest independent production group in Europe and a direct competitor to CAPA in French and international content production, operating across entertainment, drama, and documentary formats with global distribution.
• Elephant Doc: Elephant Doc is a French documentary production company known for high-end documentary and series work, directly comparable to CAPA Presse in genre, editorial ambitions, and French/international broadcaster client base.
• Zodiak Media (Banijay France): Zodiak Media (now part of Banijay) is a French/European production group with strong documentary and entertainment formats, directly comparable to CAPA Presse's documentary business and CAPA Corporate's branded content capabilities.
• Newen Studios: Newen Studios is a French production group owned by TF1 Group (CAPA's parent, STUDIO TF1's sister entity), producing drama, documentary, and unscripted content for French and international broadcasters — a closely comparable French production peer within the same corporate family.
• Federation Entertainment: Federation Entertainment is a Paris-based independent production and distribution company specializing in international premium drama series, directly competing with CAPA Drama for international streaming and broadcaster commissions.

Broad incumbents

• StudioCanal: StudioCanal is a major French film and series production and distribution company (Canal+ group), overlapping with CAPA Drama in premium TV production and international sales to platforms and TV channels.
• Gaumont: Gaumont is a legacy French film and television production and distribution company with global reach, comparable to CAPA as a French-rooted producer/distributor of premium audiovisual content, though broader in scale and theatrical focus.
• Fremantle: Fremantle is one of the world's largest production and distribution companies operating across drama, documentary, and entertainment, comparable to CAPA at the international distribution level and as a competitor for premium format sales.
• ITV Studios: ITV Studios is a major global production and distribution group owned by ITV, comparable to CAPA as a broadcaster-affiliated producer with international scripted and unscripted content distribution across multiple territories.

Regional players

• France.tv Studio: France.tv Studio is the production arm of France Télévisions, the French public broadcaster. It is comparable to CAPA Presse as a French documentary/TV producer commissioning from the same broadcaster pool, though it operates as an in-house broadcaster producer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AgenceCAPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AgenceCAPA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agencecapa
• Instagraminstagram.com/agencecapa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CAPA