TF1 looks to digital future with producers’ groups agreement

French commercial broadcaster TF1 has secured agreements with organisations representing producers and authors’ rights societies that it says will enable it to invest further in digital platforms and non-linear services.

TF1 has struck an accord with producers’ groups SATEV, SPECT, SPI, USPA and SEDPA and authors rights societies SACD and SCAM.

The broadcaster said this was the first agreement of its type struck by a television group covering both the digital-terrestrial TV and subscription video-on-demand laws decreed in December and June 2021 respectively.

Under the agreement, TF1 has renewed its commitment to invest 12.5% of its revenues in French content creation. However, this agreement extends to all streaming platforms operated by the group, meaning MYTF1, MYTF1 Maxand TFOU Max.

TF1 has also made an additional commitment to invest in independent factual programming and animation.

TF1 has also committed to support independent producers, with the quid pro quo of securing the rights to exploit programming across linear and non-linear platforms, including AVOD/FVOD and SVOD for a window of 48 months for all independent works that it finances to the level of 60% for non-fiction programming and 50% for fiction and animation.

The broadcaster said that it would also continue to benefit from a previous agreement that gave it rights to other content for non-linear distribution for a window of 36 months.

TF1 said that the latest agreement gave it a significantly extended access to linear and non-linear rights that would allow it, in the medium term, to develop an important deepening of its digital offerings.