Orange chief: content is ‘essential’ for future of business

Investing in content will remain an essential part of Orange’s business going forwards, according to CEO Stéphane Richard.

Stéphane Richard

Speaking to analysts after Orange posted its full-year results, Richard said that content was “essential for Orange to consolidate its position as a leading multiservice operator”, citing an increase in content revenues of 14% year-on-year.

Richard said that Orange’s pay TV platform now had close to three million customers after 10 years in operation, while Orange España has achieved strong growth on the back of its investment in football content.

Chief financial officer Ramon Fernandez, speaking on the same earnings call, said that cost savings realised in 2018 had enabled Orange to continue to invest in its content portfolio, supporting its performance. Fernandez said that the 14% growth in the operator’s Spanish TV base had come both from new acquisitions and the upselling of existing customers.

Fernandez also said that Orange’s launch of a single internet box across all its European countries would enable it to realise cost savings of €100 million by 2020, while the optimisation of TV set-top box production would deliver another €200 million in savings.