France Televisions launches Pluzz VaD

By
Kamila Nigmatulina

May 04, 2012

French public broadcaster France Televisions is to launch transactional VoD service branded 'Pluzz VaD'. Pluzz VaD is expected to extend France Televisions' seven-day catch-up service Pluzz into the digital rental market across a range of different platforms. The existing Pluzz service offers only a limited selection of paid-for VoD on the PC, IPTV and cable. Initially Pluzz VaD will be available through the IPTV service Freebox before being launched on other IPTV, internet, mobile and connected TV platforms.

Pluzz VaD will offer 3,000 titles comprising French films, documentaries, shows, children's programmes and live events, with US movie titles to be added soon.

France Televisions has indicated that the next step is to develop a subscription VoD service, along with an enlarged content library in 2012.

According to the broadcaster, an estimated 40,000 programmes are viewed monthly using its catch up TV portal Pluzz via the Internet, cable and IPTV. With the new paid-for service, France Televisions is aiming to improve the profile of its online video services in the competitive French VoD market. Currently, the video-on-demand sector is dominated by major broadcasters such as TF1 and M6, as well as ISPs such as Orange and SFR.

The new video portal will enable France Televisions to extend its non-linear services to wider audiences across different platforms, reducing the incentive for customers to turn to other services and providers when using different screens. Currently, France Televisions captures less than 10 per cent of online TV views in France, compared to a 25 per cent share of the traditional TV audience.

But the launch of Pluzz VaD is aimed at not only improving the reach and the profile of France Televisions' on-demand services, but also capturing a portion of the value of the French online video market. IHS Screen Digest estimates the French online video market was worth €132m in 2011.

However, the arrival of Pluzz VaD comes several years after the roll-out of services launched by competitors of France Televisons. For example, launched in 2009, TF1's VoD service offers premium content on both a transactional and subscription basis, with an extensive catalogue of US movies and TV series across different connected devices. In addition, content suppliers to TF1 include major local and international content owners such as Warner, Universal, Paramount, MGM and Pathe. Consequently, France Televisions may find competition in the paid-for video sector very difficult with the existence of these well established services, and needs to ensure exclusive content deals and a quick roll-out of services across different connected devices. IHS Screen Digest estimates that the number of active connected living room devices (comprising games consoles, connected TVs, connected set-top boxes and Blu Ray players) in France will reach nearly 120m by year end 2012.

Tags:

Countries: France
Companies: France Televisions Iliad