Monday, August 19, 2019

"French Broadcasters to Launch Joint Streaming Service Next Year to Battle Netflix"

From Variety:
Amazon and Netflix are soon to get some Gallic competition from Team France. French regulators gave the green light Monday to plans by the country’s heavyweight broadcasters to launch a joint streaming service, Salto, to fight the global giants.

Pubcaster France Televisions has pacted with its commercial rivals M6 and TF1 on the new subscription platform, which is expected to roll out in the first quarter of 2020.

“Now that Salto has been approved, we will at last be able to put together Team France in broadcasting, which I have been longing for,” said Delphine Ernotte Cunci, CEO of France Televisions. “The launch of the platform will very soon give us what we need to compete against international players on our own territory.”

The partners said that their pooled resources signified an “ambitious local response” to “evolving consumer expectations” and would give them a greater role in the domestic French and wider European TV market....MORE