Orange unveils content initiatives
July 12, 2017
By Colin Mann
French multi-play operator Orange has announced a series of content initiatives and a strengthening of its partnership with pay-TV platform Canal+ designed to bolster their competitive response to emergent market player Altice.
A major and longstanding player in the field of content, Orange is confirming and strengthening its strategy with the creation of Orange Content, a new entity reporting directly to Chief Executive and Chairman Stéphane Richard.
Announced by Richard on March 21st 2017, the purpose of the new entity, Orange Content, is to confirm and strengthen the presence and investment of Orange in the field of content. Its mission is to drive the Group’s strategy in content and to act as a support for all the countries where the Group is present. This new division will bring together a large part of the current Content Division; the subsidiaries comprising Orange Studio, OCS and OPTV (Orange Prestations TV). It will provide assistance and support to the countries in which Orange is present and will continue the strategic intelligence work which is already in place. It will be responsible for delivering international guidelines relating to content policy and will support the countries, including Orange France, in negotiations that are being conducted.
This new entity will report directly to Richard with a two-person senior management team: David Kessler, Director, and Serge Laroye, Deputy Director. Effective from September 1st 2017, Orange Content will have five key functions:
- Strategic intelligence, interpreting of trends and the movements of industry players in order to identify opportunities for the Group and its countries
- Acquisition of rights both through the negotiation of distribution agreements and agreements on premium rights or with Studios. Orange Content will also provide support to the countries in these areas
- The management and development of a production/publishing centre bringing together Orange Studio and OCS or any other upcoming entity responsible for editing and production
- Consideration and implementation of proposals on new formats, new usages and innovative solutions in the field of content, with the Group’s various stakeholders and external partners
- Monitoring the development of the countries’ content turnover through strategic planning, collaboration with the countries and the implementation of joint action plans, as well as the development of profitability activities. Moreover, the commercial and operational activities of distribution and content aggregation are also located within each national entity, in particular for Orange France.
The strategy implemented, particularly in the Europe region, will build on what has been developed in recent years: assigning priority to the widest possible distribution of the best content offers on the market, and investing in cinema and series via OCS and Orange Studio.
“Orange Content aims to guarantee the richness of our offer in France and abroad and give more visibility and consistency to our offers in the field of content,” explained Richard.
The strengthening of the historical partnership between Orange and Canal+ reinforces the distribution of Canal offers for Orange TV customers and will propose a new offer of Canal+ Essentiel for Orange’s fibre customers.
In the coming months, Orange will market a new Canal+ Essentiel offer to its fibre customers, without commitment and on attractive financial terms. This new marketing model, exclusive to Canal+Essentiel on Orange Fibre, will allow Orange to enrich its promise of Orange Fibre and attract new customer targets for Canal+essentiel.
Following on from the ‘Famille by CANAL’ offer launched in 2016, Orange says it is strengthening its partnership with Canal+ by combining the power of Orange’s 100% fibre offer with the very best in entertainment.
Following the agreement signed at the end of December 2016 between UGC Images and Orange Studio on the distribution of films through cinemas, Orange and UGC are extending their partnership with a new agreement with OCS, concerning the forthcoming films produced by UGC Images. For OCS, the 100% cinema and series offer is therefore accelerating its expansion in terms of investment in French cinema and reinforces the power of its broadcasting with pre-purchased feature films for the whole family.
Orange is also confirming its commitment to series by announcing a €100 million investment over five years. Orange intends to draw on its two pillars: its production subsidiary Orange Studio and OCS, its 100% cinema and series offer. This investment underlines Orange’s desire to produce ambitious series, to be co-produced with recognised partners, whether French, European or international.