A carriage fee dispute looms in France as TF1 threatens to withdraw channels from IPTV platforms.
French private broadcaster TF1 said it has been negotiating carriage conditions for is channels the past few months, without reaching an agreement. TF1, otherwise known as La Une, is the best watch private channel in the country.
TF1 is looking for a carriage fee, as its advertising income is under pressure, but it seems that its distribution partners are not willing to pay for distribution.
“There is really a problem of value-sharing to rebalance … We are very determined,” explained Régis Ravanas, TF1’s deputy general manager for advertising and diversification, at the annual results presentation conference of the group, reports Le Boursier..
“Discussions are not simple because it is a change of model, but we want to go all the way and if it becomes necessary – which we do not hope – go so far as to withdraw TF1 from some platforms.”
Ravanas said that in Belgium the cable and IPTV operators, including Orange and Altice, are paying a carriage fee to the broadcaster.
