France: 6Play becomes AVoD platform
July 9, 2021
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
On the heels of TF1 launching its new AVoD service Stream, M6 Group has announced plans to strengthen its catch-up TV platform 6Play into an AVoD platform offering more original content.
“M6 wants to migrate 6Play from a catch-up TV service to a real AVoD offering based on our current 20 million users” revealed Frédéric de Vincelles, programming MD in charge of platforms and sports. “Online video consumption is changing. The AVoD and SVoD sectors, in which we are involved too through joint-venture Salto with TF1 and France Télévisions, are both rising significantly. Despite being opposed, they are both complementary”.
The platform, which streamed 280 million hours over the first quarter, has already unveiled part of its AVoD line-up featuring exclusive films such as Big Fish and Super Blonde following a deal with Sony Pictures. M6 group is also developing original content including Or Noir, a French urban series from YouTube and produced by Blackvision, and has also signed a long-term deal with BBC Studios for a number of British TV series including Fleming, The Kennedy and Pride and Prejudice. 6Play has also acquired several animated series from Mediawan.
The platform will also produce spin-offs from several from its linear reality shows and is developing themed channels, such as cuisine-oriented Chef TV and Reality TV. Live sport content will be streamed on new channel Le Live by 6Play.
Conceived by subsidiary Bedrock, the revamp is planned for the autumn.