Altice France has sent an ultimatum to Iliad after failing to agree new terms for the distribution of four of its TV channels (RMC Decouverte, RMC Story, BFM TV and BFM Business). This set of channels, mostly available on a free-to-air basis over DTT, forms part of Altice France’s SFR Media operations. After the end of the contract, due to expire on 20 March, they could stop being available for Freebox customers, said the company in a statement seen by BFM Business.
Talks on the contract renewal have reached an impasse on the fees demanded by Altice France to distribute the channels over Free’s IPTV platform. The industry has seen similar disputes in recent years over the renewal terms put forward by French broadcasters TF1 and M6, both demanding a better remuneration for the IPTV and satellite distribution of their channels.
Following renegotiations, TF1’s latest financial results point to a significant increase in revenues generated from distribution partners. Quoting unnamed sources, Les Echos reported that these revenues rose to EUR 50-60 million on an annual basis from approximately EUR 10 million previously, noting that TF1’s new distribution terms have created a precedent for the industry.
