Molotov ordered to drop M6 channels

French OTT service Molotov has been ordered not to re-transmit the channels of commercial broadcaster M6 and has been fined €7 million by a French court.

The largely free-to-view streaming service, which has been transmitting the M6, W9 and 6ter channels for three years without authorisation from the broadcaster, was given eight days to stop distributing the services by the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris.

Molotov was also fined €15,000 for misuse of M6’s branding and €100,000 for

The ruling comes after a number of years of fruitless discussion between the pair over the terms by which Molotov might redistribute M6 Group channels.

Molotov, which was acquired last year by FuboTV for €164.3 million reportedly has around four million active users and about 250,000 paying subscribers for its premium offering.

A similar case brought by France’s leading commercial broadcaster TF1 against Molotov is ongoing. A decision on that case is expected in the course of next year.

TF1 is claiming damages of €5 million for Molotov’s transmission of its channels without rights and a further €2.4 million for illegal use of its branding.