TF1 has reached an agreement with Orange on the distribution of its TV channels and on-demand services, ending a dispute which led to the withdrawal of MyTF1 for Orange customers in early February. Availability of this service will now be restored on 12 March.
The new agreement will see the provision of an improved MyTF1 on-demand service, offering several new features, an increased availability of programmes (beyond seven days), and access to online previews ahead of broadcast. TF1 will add two new channels to its current line-up (TF1 + 1 and TMC +1) in the autumn, and will start distributing selected programmes in 4K quality, including World Cup football matches.
The two partners plan to collaborate on the delivery of targeted advertising for TF1 programmes delivered over the Orange network. They have also renewed their existing distribution deal for TF1’s thematic channels (‘Histoire’, ‘TV Breizh’ and ‘Ushuaia TV’), and have agreed improvements to TF1's TFOUMax on-demand content, targeted to children.
While financial details on the new terms have not been disclosed, the four-year contract is reportedly worth between EUR 10-13 million per year for TF1, based on information gathered by Le Monde. Previous press reports indicated that negotiations had collapsed over Orange’s refusal to accept a renewal payment of over EUR 20 million per year.
