French broadcaster TF1 wants it streaming service TF1+ to compete toe-to-toe with global streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ by duplicating some of their playbook, such as multi-market scale and perpetual content availability.
The company has launched TF1+ in 22 French-speaking African countries, in addition to Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland (plus its home market), to achieve the scale required. The aim is to become the go-to destination for premium content among French speakers.
Speaking at Connected TV World Summit this month, Laurence Pera, head of strategic partnerships, Groupe TF1, said: “We face strong competitors, so we must be ambitious.”
The broadcaster had to renegotiate its licenses with content producers whose content is being distributed more widely. This goes hand-in-hand with the wider ambition to maximise the reach and value of intellectual property (IP) owned by the broadcaster itself.
Pera (pictured) outlined the distribution strategy behind TF1 Group’s quest to “capture our fair share of the digital market”.
First, capitalise on the broadcaster’s premium content, which features strong and recognisable programme brands. This required the rights to show third-party produced content on TF1+ for months or years rather than days.
“One of the reasons for Netflix’s success is that viewers know that if they want to watch Stranger Things, they will find all the seasons on the service, including those first aired years ago.
“We had to adopt the same approach and move beyond being a seven-day catch-up service.”
Second, TF1 has looked to maximise visibility for its streaming service, working with pay-TV operators in France and multiple smart TV OS providers (for app presence).
“We also know it is not enough to be available – you need to be on the first screen people see,” Pera commented.
Increased visibility for TF1+
Increased visibility also explains the deal, starting this summer, which sees TF1 linear channels and catalogue content appear in Netflix France.
TF1 is also focused on user experience innovation. It developed a recommendation feature that proposes content a whole household would enjoy together, based on each person’s past viewing choices.
The broadcaster is also pioneering micro-payments.
By paying a small fee for this otherwise free ad-supported service, consumers can choose to watch a single show or an entire evening ad-free.
They can watch the next episode of a series before it airs or is released for streaming on TF1+.
This feature is integrated into the general content discovery and presentation. When selecting a show, the free or paid options are highlighted.
“This involves small fees, like euro 1 for an ad-free evening,” Pera explained. “We are working on other instances where micro-payments could be used.”
Once again, TF1 had to return to its content partners to secure the new rights needed.
This is not just about improving the user experience. TF1 believes micro-payments can become a meaningful new revenue stream.
