France.TV to use Olympics as launchpad for expanded streaming offering

Credit: Nathalie Guyon (Source: France Télévisions)

French public broadcaster France Télévisions is hoping to use the Olympic Games in Paris later this year as the launchpad to boost the reach of an expanded and re-designed France.tv streaming offering.

The arrival of the Olympic torch in Marseille on May 8 will set the scene for the launch of a dedicated Paris 2024 channel on the streaming platform, which will be focused in particular on sports such as basketball and BMX.

France.tv will effectively serve as a ‘third channel’ to transmit coverage of the event, alongside France 2, which will air the best of the tames and France 3, which will air coverage of team sports.

Following the Olympics, the broadcaster will attempt to build France.tv’s reach with a younger audience, focusing on live streaming and interaction, according to director of broadcasting and programmes Stéphane Sitbon Gomez, speaking at an event in Paris.

Youth news programme C quoi l’info?, currently targeted at 12-18 year-olds, will be segmented into three separate strands targeting 8-12, 12-18 and 18-25 year-olds respectively.

There will be an additional focus on thematic strands such as health and parenting. A channel focusing on documentaries, France.tv Docs, will be launched to join one recently launched focusing on TV series.

A catalogue of series comprised entirely of French content will be available via the streaming platform.

Sitbon Gomez told attendees that France Télévisions, unlike other streaming services, would look to editorialise its offering rather than rely wholly on algorithms to place content before viewers.

France.tv recorded around 26 million unique visitors a month last year. Investment in the platform has grown from €80 million in 2018 to €200 million currently.