National Geographic France

What National Geographic France does

National Geographic France (nationalgeographic.fr) is the French-language editorial operation of National Geographic, headquartered in Paris with 17 employees and operated as part of National Geographic Partners, LLC — a joint venture ultimately owned by The Walt Disney Company following Disney's 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The entity produces and curates French-language content across the topics of history, science, animals, environment, health, travel, and photography, distributed through the nationalgeographic.fr website, three print magazines (National Geographic Magazine at €69/year, National Geographic Kids at €67/year, and National Geographic Histoire & Civilisations at €42/year), the Nat Geo Wild television channel, and documentary video content distributed via Disney+.

The underlying platform is a digital media property with web publishing, video streaming, and RSS-based content delivery rather than a proprietary technology product. There are no AI capabilities, no app products, and no API or SDK offerings; the technology footprint is conventional CMS, web, and video delivery infrastructure. The brand identity leverages the iconic National Geographic yellow-bordered frame, a registered trademark supported by over 130 years of editorial heritage originating with the 1888 founding of the National Geographic Society.

Revenue is generated through recurring annual magazine subscriptions, advertising and content licensing on the website, and economic participation in Disney+ and TV channel distribution. The customer base is the broad French-speaking public, segmented into general science/exploration readers, families with children, and history enthusiasts. Strategic and operational decisions for the French operation are made within the broader context of Disney's global media portfolio rather than as an independent company.

Name

National Geographic France

Legal name

National Geographic Partners, LLC

Website

https://nationalgeographic.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Geographic France is the Paris-based French-language editorial operation of National Geographic Partners (Disney-owned), publishing three magazines and digital/video content for French-speaking audiences interested in science, history, exploration, and photography.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Magazine Publishing and Digital Media

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

International Cultural/Educational Broadcasters (MPABAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Thematic/Genre Broadcasters (Entertainment/Lifestyle/Documentary/Music) (MPABAEAL), International Broadcast Networks (Operating Domestic Feeds) (MPABAAAN)

Keywords

• Science journalism
• Documentary content
• Magazine publishing
• Educational media
• Nature programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Physical magazine subscriptions generating recurring annual revenue from three titles: National Geographic Magazine (69€/year), National Geographic Kids (67€/year), and National Geographic Histoire & Civilisations (42€/year).
2. Streaming and Broadcasting: Content distributed through Disney+ platform and TV channels (National Geographic and NatGeo Wild) as part of the Disney-National Geographic partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

National Geographic France is a French-language multimedia editorial platform that publishes daily scientific news, three print magazines (National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Kids, and National Geographic Histoire & Civilisations), and produces documentary video content distributed through Disney+ and dedicated TV channels (National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild). The platform covers topics including history, science, health, animals, environment, travel, and photography, generating revenue primarily through annual magazine subscriptions and streaming distribution.

Product overview

National Geographic France operates as a multimedia publication platform offering three magazine products (National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Kids, and National Geographic Histoire & Civilisations) alongside a television channel (Nat Geo Wild) and video content distributed through Disney+. The flagship National Geographic Magazine publishes monthly with annual subscriptions at €69, while the Kids edition targets younger audiences at €67/year. Video and television content spans categories including history, health, animals, science, environment, travel, photography, and space, with programming such as the documentary series featuring explorer Bertie Gregory and historical documentaries like the Tom Hiddleston Pompeii investigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nat Geo Wild: Television channel focusing on wildlife and nature programming, part of the National Geographic media portfolio.
• National Geographic Magazine
• National Geographic Kids
• National Geographic Histoire & Civilisations

Products and services

• National Geographic Magazine The flagship monthly print magazine featuring documentary-style reporting on science, exploration, nature, history, and photography, with contributions from renowned explorers and photographers. Priced at €69 per year (12 issues) and available to French-speaking subscribers.
• National Geographic Kids A children's magazine designed for young explorers aged 6-12, featuring educational content about animals, science, and geography in an engaging format. Priced at €67 per year (12 issues).
• National Geographic Histoire & Civilisations A French-language historical magazine focusing on civilizations and historical events that shaped the world, published 11 times per year. Priced at €42 per year (reduced from €75.90).
• Nat Geo Wild Television Channel A wildlife television channel featuring documentaries about animals, nature, and conservation, broadcast in France featuring documentary programming including wildlife content.
• National Geographic Video Content Documentary video content covering topics including history, science, animals, travel, and environment, available on the nationalgeographic.fr website and through Disney+ streaming platform. Includes series like Bertie Gregory's shark documentaries and historical content such as the Tom Hiddleston Pompeii documentary.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Disney+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDisney+ serves as a primary streaming distribution channel for National Geographic documentary content in France. Content including Bertie Gregory's shark documentaries and other National Geographic productions are available on the Disney+ platform. The partnership is part of the broader Disney-National Geographic integration following Disney's acquisition of National Geographic Partners.
• National Geographic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Geographic Society is the founding organization behind the National Geographic brand. It collaborates with National Geographic Partners on exploration, scientific research, and content creation. The Society funds explorers and research programs that generate content for National Geographic media.
• National Geographic PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Geographic Partners (LLC) is the joint venture between Disney and National Geographic Society that manages the media business including magazines, TV channels, digital content, and licensing. The French edition (nationalgeographic.fr) operates under this entity.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• GEO Magazine France: GEO is the leading French-language travel, nature, and science magazine that competes directly with National Geographic Magazine and Histoire & Civilisations for the same French reader base and advertising market.
• Smithsonian Magazine: Smithsonian Magazine is a US-based science, history, and culture magazine with a similar editorial positioning to National Geographic, often cited as a peer in the premium science-and-exploration magazine category.
• Discovery France (Discovery Channel / Discovery+): Discovery's French operations distribute wildlife, science, and exploration content through linear channels and Discovery+, directly overlapping with NatGeo Wild and National Geographic's documentary positioning in the French market.
• BBC Studios (France / BBC Earth): BBC Studios produces and distributes premium documentary and natural-history content (including BBC Earth-branded channels and programs) that competes head-to-head with National Geographic for documentary audiences in France and globally.
• National Geographic (US/Global): The flagship National Geographic US/global edition operated by National Geographic Partners. It is directly comparable as the same brand and content franchise, differing only by language and geographic focus, and serves as the editorial and brand source for the French edition.
• Nat Geo Wild (global channel): Nat Geo Wild is the wildlife-focused National Geographic branded channel distributed globally, including in France. It is directly comparable as part of the same TV channel portfolio that the French edition manages and promotes.

Others

• Disney+ France: Disney+ is National Geographic France's primary streaming distribution partner. While not a competitor, it is an adjacent ecosystem player whose platform strategy, bundling, and content promotion directly shape the reach and economics of NatGeo's documentary content in France.

Broad incumbents

• Arte: Arte is the Franco-German public cultural broadcaster that produces and distributes high-quality documentaries, science programming, and historical content in French, competing with National Geographic for premium documentary viewership in France.
• France Télévisions (France 5 / France 3 documentary slots): France Télévisions is the French public broadcaster whose documentary and science programming on channels like France 5 competes for the same audiences and advertising positioning as National Geographic's TV channels and documentary content in France.
• Canal+ Documentary / Canal+ Group: Canal+ operates documentary-focused channels and streaming offerings in France that overlap with National Geographic's documentary positioning and compete for premium subscriber spend in the French market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/natgeomagfr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-geographic-fr

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 National Geographic France