SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS
Seconde Vague Productions is a French independent audiovisual production company that develops and produces fiction series, TV movies, documentaries, and feature films on commission for French broadcasters (TF1, France Télévisions, Arte) and Netflix, operating with a 6-person team from La Ciotat and Paris.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLa Ciotat, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS does
Seconde Vague Productions is a privately held French audiovisual production company founded in 2012 by Paul Saadoun, with operations in La Ciotat (registered headquarters) and Paris. The company produces fiction series, TV movies (unitaires), documentaries, and feature films for major French broadcasters and international streaming platforms. Its active catalog spans comedy-police series such as Alter Ego for TF1 (starring Eric Cantona), detective TV movies Meurtres sur les îles du Frioul and Ness et Ryan for France 2/France 3, art-house documentary collections including Europe des écrivains and Palettes for Arte, and the feature film Varian Fry in development.
The business model is project-based professional services: Seconde Vague pitches, develops, and produces content on commission from broadcasters (TF1, France Télévisions, Arte, TV5 MONDE), secures coproduction partners (Quelle Aventure!, Empreinte Digitale, To do Today Productions, JE Films, Drama Way, Kwai), and earns revenue through production fees, broadcasting rights, and coproduction financing supplemented by CNC and regional public funding. Distribution runs exclusively through linear broadcasters and the Netflix streaming platform, with no proprietary distribution infrastructure or direct-to-consumer channels.
The company operates with a lean 6-person team and no external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries disclosed. Leadership transitioned in 2024 to President Renaud Estienne and Director Stephan Kalb, succeeding Sabrina Agresti Roubache. Market traction is evidenced by viewership outcomes (4.7 million viewers for Meurtres sur les îles du Frioul, nearly 5 million for Alter Ego, 3.38 million for Ness et Ryan), festival screenings at Monte-Carlo TV Festival and Festival polar de Cognac, and Season 2 greenlights for both Alter Ego and Ness et Ryan, indicating recurring commissions from core broadcaster partners.
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS
- Legal name
- SECOND VAGUE PRODUCTIONS
- Website
- https://secondevagueproductions.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Seconde Vague Productions is a French independent audiovisual production company that develops and produces fiction series, TV movies, documentaries, and feature films on commission for French broadcasters (TF1, France Télévisions, Arte) and Netflix, operating with a 6-person team from La Ciotat and Paris.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Audiovisual Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)
Keywords
Where SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Ciotat
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Television Production: Seconde Vague Productions generates revenue by producing audiovisual content (series, documentaries, unitaires, films) that is commissioned and purchased by French television networks and streaming platforms. The company acts as production company and coproducer, with revenue coming from production fees, broadcasting rights, and coproduction partnerships with broadcasters such as TF1, France Télévisions, Arte, and Netflix.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels3 records
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seconde Vague Productions is a French audiovisual production company that develops and produces fiction series, TV movies (unitaires), documentaries, and feature films for major French broadcasters (TF1, France 2, France 3, Arte, TV5 MONDE) and international streaming platforms (Netflix). The company also provides executive production services for third-party productions, acting as production company or coproducer and earning revenue from production fees, broadcasting rights, and coproduction partnerships.
Product overview
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS is an audiovisual production company offering a portfolio of creative production services across five core product categories: Unitaires (TV movies/standalone films), Séries (TV series), Documentaires (documentaries), Cinéma/Films (feature films), and Production exécutive (executive production services for third-party productions). The company operates as a unified production studio rather than a software platform, producing content for major French broadcasters including TF1, France 2, France 3, and ARTE, as well as streaming platforms. Notable productions include the TF1 comedy-police series Alter Ego starring Eric Cantona, the France 3 detective TV movie Meurtres sur les Îles du Frioul, and the documentary Djellaba Basket. The company maintains an active development pipeline with multiple series and documentaries in various production stages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Unitaires (TV Movies) One-off television films (téléfilms) and standalone dramatic productions, including detective/mystery films and family comedies, produced for French broadcasters.
- Séries (TV Series) Television series productions including drama, comedy-police, and historical series produced for French broadcasters.
- Documentaires (Documentaries) Documentary productions covering social, historical, cultural, and political subjects, including completed documentaries and works in development.
- Cinéma / Films (Feature Films) Feature-length film productions, including historical dramas and biographical films for theatrical release.
- Production exécutive (Executive Production Services) Executive production services for third-party productions, providing production oversight and local production support.
- Alter Ego TF1 comedy-police series starring Eric Cantona and Bruno Sanches, about a police officer returning to Marseille who teams up with an eccentric lawyer. 6 episodes of 52 minutes.
- Djellaba Basket Documentary about Islam and youth culture in Marseille's northern neighborhoods, examining how young people blend religious practice with urban culture. Broadcast on France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
- Meurtres sur les Îles du Frioul Detective TV movie (pilot for a potential series) featuring Francis Huster and Jérémy Banster, set on the Frioul islands near Marseille. Broadcast on France 3.
- Itinéraire d'un aumônier militaire Documentary broadcast on France 2 in September 2026, about a military chaplain's journey.
- Ness et Ryan Detective TV movie collection on France 2 featuring Captain Ness Jabri and young delinquent Rayan, with Nadia Roz and Ilies Kadri.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.664 million viewers for Meurtres sur les îles du Frioul, beating The Voice on TF1
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TF1coreMajor French private broadcaster. Coproduction partner for Alter Ego series (2026), featuring Eric Cantona. TF1 commissions and broadcasts the company's fiction series.
- France Télévisions (France 2, France 3)coreFrench public national broadcaster group. Major production partner for unitaires, documentaries, and series including Meurtres sur les îles du Frioul, Alter Ego (France 2), and Ness et Ryan.
- Arte FrancecoreFrench-German public broadcaster. Coproduction partner for documentary collections including Ukraine le réveil citoyen and the Europe des écrivains collection.
- NetflixcoreInternational streaming platform. Executive production services provided for the Marseille series. Production executed by Sabrina Agresti Roubache through Seconde Vague Productions.
- To do Today ProductionsminorCoproduction partner for unitaires including Ça va passer… mais quand ?.
- JE FilmsminorCoproduction partner for Radio Pirate series.
- Drama WayminorCoproduction partner for Radio Pirate series, created by Hélène Constanty, Clément Tonelli and Stephan Kalb.
- KwaiminorCoproduction partner for unitaires including Tout le monde s'engueule à Noël.
- Quelle Aventure!coreProduction company and coproducer of Alter Ego series alongside Empreinte Digitale.
- Empreinte DigitalecoreProduction company and coproducer of Alter Ego series alongside Quelle Aventure!.
- CNC (Centre National du Cinéma)minorFrench National Center for Cinema provides support and funding for audiovisual productions.
- Région Provence Alpes Côte d'AzurminorRegional council provides financial support for productions including Ça va passer… mais quand ? and various documentaries.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Studiocanal: Canal+ group's film and series production-distribution arm, one of Europe's largest integrated production companies. Comparable as a French audiovisual production competitor but vastly larger in scale, library depth, and international distribution reach.
- Newen (TF1 Group): Major French production-distribution group owned by TF1 Group, producing series, documentaries, and TV movies for French and international broadcasters. Comparable as a French production competitor but operates at much larger scale and with captive TF1 commissioning access.
Direct peers
- Barjac Films: French independent production company producing fiction and documentary content for French broadcasters. Comparable in size and structure to Seconde Vague as a small French indie producing across documentary and fiction formats for the same commissioning ecosystem.
- Agat Films & Cie: Independent French audiovisual production company producing documentaries, fiction series, and feature films for Arte, France Télévisions, and Canal+. Directly comparable to Seconde Vague as a similarly-sized French indie producing across the same format mix for the same set of public broadcasters.
- Federation Entertainment: Paris-based independent production and distribution company producing French and international series for broadcasters and streamers. Comparable as a French indie supplier with multi-broadcaster reach and ambitions to scale internationally, though somewhat larger than Seconde Vague.
- Quad Productions: French independent production company producing fiction series, TV movies, and documentaries for TF1, France Télévisions, and Arte. Closely mirrors Seconde Vague's format portfolio and broadcaster client mix, including hit-making unitaires and detective series for French public broadcasters.
- Sister Productions: Paris-based independent production company developing and producing scripted series and feature films, including for Canal+ and international platforms. Comparable as a French fiction-focused indie competing for similar talent-attached drama commissions.
- Making Prod: French independent production company specializing in documentaries and fiction for Arte and France Télévisions. Comparable as a similarly-sized French indie supplier focused on the same prestige documentary and unitaires commissions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS social profiles
Digital presenceSECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS
What does SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS do?
Seconde Vague Productions is a French audiovisual production company that develops and produces fiction series, TV movies (unitaires), documentaries, and feature films for major French broadcasters (TF1, France 2, France 3, Arte, TV5 MONDE) and international streaming platforms (Netflix). The company also provides executive production services for third-party productions, acting as production company or coproducer and earning revenue from production fees, broadcasting rights, and coproduction partnerships.
Is SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS a public or private company?
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS founded?
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS based?
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS is headquartered in La Ciotat, France, in the Europe region.
How does SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS make money?
One revenue line is on record: television Production.
Who are SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Studiocanal and Newen (TF1 Group). Direct peers are Barjac Films, Agat Films & Cie, Federation Entertainment, Quad Productions, Sister Productions and Making Prod.
Does SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS have an API?
No public API is recorded for SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS.
What industry is SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS in?
SECONDE VAGUE PRODUCTIONS's product category is Audiovisual Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAC, Short-Form Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.