France Télévisions calls for broadcaster resistance of streamers
July 12, 2023
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
French PSB France Télévisions, which has recently been criticised by commercial TV groups for challenging them in terms of ad revenues and editorial strategy, has called on TF1, M6, Canal+ and Altice to ‘stand together’.
“It’s our responsibility not to let the platforms impose a kind of cultural uniformity and not to let social networks bite into the public space,” asserted Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, president of Télévisions, speaking at the broadcaster’s 2023-24 line-up press conference.
Stressing that she had always backed the proposed TF1-M6 merger, which was eventually abandoned in light of restrictions that would have been imposed by the Competition authority, she declared that TV networks, though all different, must come together to defend their vision of linear television and the future.
Among the issues they should all agree on are the place TV channels can get on remote controls, 4K and French production.
“We also should agree on generative AI, which is set to transform our news and creative jobs,” she added, expressing the hope that French TV groups could make their voice heard to promote a “regulatory protection, notably in terms of copyrights”.
The digital transformation continues, with the accounts of each channel set to be replaced by the digital brand france.tv. in the Autumn, with their offering also set to be enriched.
The digital transformation has also become the main concern of private broadcasters. TF1 and M6 have chosen to accelerate its free streaming activities, after the failure of the merger with TF1.
AVoD platform 6play, which boasts 6,000 hours of content and is used by 17 million people monthly, is set to grow strongly to become a “destination platform”.
“We’re going to invest more into content and raise our exclusivity budget even on 6play,” revealed Guillaume Charles, M6 board member in charge of content and channels. “6play is a strategic priority”.
M6 has defended a strategy based on the efficiency of its linear content acquisitions which must be also be ‘streamable.’
It has announced new investments in movie and sports catch up TV rights such as the recent acquisition of the FTA rights to the US National Football League until 2027, including the Super Bowl.
In addition to a growing amount of exclusive content, M6 will also offer more FAST TV channels, growing from 15 to 25 in the coming months and new content on its ad-free SVoD 6play Max platform.