International, new El Dorado for French broadcasters? Destabilized in their local market by competition from global platforms, audiovisual groups today are more willing to look abroad to develop promising markets. Each in their own way and with different approaches.

The race for content, international partnerships and exclusive rights has thus led TF1 to strengthen its European presence via Newen (1,000 hours produced in 2018, including Tomorrow belongs to us, Plus belle la vie, Osmosis, Versailles). This production and distribution company acquired in 2015 has already taken stakes in production companies in Belgium, the Netherlands, Holland and Denmark (Ares on Netflix, The Bridge for SVT in Sweden and DR in Denmark). Before an upcoming development in Southern Europe, the company announced on July 10 a fifth acquisition of a majority stake in the Canadian company Reel One, which specializes in the production and distribution of fiction for the North American and international market. As Bibiane Godfroid, president of Newen, points out, these takeovers will make it possible to “create synergies in distribution” and to be able to “easier co-produce. »

Canal+: towards 20 million subscribers worldwide

Looking abroad since the creation of the premium pay channel, the Canal+ group derives its growth from the international market. Present in more than 25 countries in Africa (including Nigeria via the July acquisition of iRoko's assets), Poland, Vietnam and Myanmar, it reaches 7.4 million subscribers. In May, Canal+ announced its plan to acquire the European pay-TV operator M7 (Benelux, Central Europe, 3 million subscribers) for more than 1 billion euros. If the European Commission approves the acquisition, the group, which is suffering erosion in France, would total nearly 20 million subscribers worldwide, including 12 million in Europe. Canal+, which invests more than 3 billion euros each year in TV and cinema production, would also find an additional outlet for its content. In particular those from its subsidiary StudioCanal, which launched a TV production unit dedicated to the creation of premium content for an international audience.

Launch of M6 International in the Maghreb and French-speaking Africa

The uncertainty that reigns over the French audiovisual market is reflected even more symbolically by M6's new approach. After that of RTL France, the acquisition for 215 million euros of the TV division of Lagardère (excluding Mezzo), to which the CSA has just given the green light, opens up the private group, accustomed until then to internal growth, the doors of the international market.

In addition to the music and entertainment pay channels (Elle Girl TV, MCM, etc.), M6 is getting its hands on Gulli and the channels for 3-12 year olds Canal J and TiJi. the SVOD GulliMax offer, and the international distribution activity, which includes the Gulli Africa, Gulli Bil Arabi (Middle East), Gulli Girl and TiJi Russia channels. The skills of Lagardère's TV division teams in the distribution and creation of local antennas, M6 intends to exploit them. During a lunch at the end of June with the Association of Media Journalists, the chairman of the executive board Nicolas de Tavernost indicated that his group planned to launch a signal called M6 International aimed at the Maghreb and French-speaking Africa. This channel will offer programs owned by the company.

On the French market, the entry of youth channels and activities into the fold of the group, which already owns 6ter on DTT, will significantly strengthen its offer for families. A year before the shutdown of the public youth channel France 4, the acquisition of Gulli (1.4% pda in June) is a nice move. With four DTT channels, M6 will consolidate its historic terrestrial television business.