The question of the VoD is still not determined

If the small screen has increased, in the first quarter of 2006, average of 500,000 viewers on the first evening parties, it should inter alia to the success of French fiction. To MIP TV yesterday, Etienne Mougeotte, Vice President of TF1, and Takis Candilis, head of the fiction of the group, presented the TF1 strategy in the field which can be summarized by: more fiction in the antenna and diversity of formats.

In 2005, TF1 has invested EUR 176 million in French fiction to produce 95 evenings, mixing recurring series ("A woman of honour", "Navarro"...) and unpublished series such as "RIS". The latter adopted 52 minutes format, promoted long by France television. The success, TF1 set this format through production 12 episodes of "RIS", and new series, including "Section of research" (released before the summer) and "Paris criminal section," adapted from famous "Law and Order" of NBC Universal. This movement will grow in 2007: success of 2006 series will be continued and two new formats will be produced. Besides the 52 minutes, the traditional 90 minutes still have their place, series or unit formats for prestige on themes already explored. After "L'affaire Dominici", follow as a "Marie Besnard" and "Mother", taken from the Ranucci case.

But TF1 also wants to extend the type to other hourly boxes, as the Preview part of evening and the second part of evening. In 2007, is still inspired by France television, it should be a daily SOAP on the air between 17 and 19 hours and he seeks the right model for fiction after 22 hours. "It's very complicated, because it is necessary to adjust the high economic cost of a fiction with weaker advertising revenues at this time," said Takis Candilis. It is true that this form of television is much more expensive (EUR 1 million per hour) that flow as reality TV programs. And this will worsen with the rise of high-definition.

Cost of grid "mastered".

"Fiction as the sport increases costs, but we will offset all of this and I can assure you the global cost of grid in the chain will remain subdued in the next two to three years."

The economic model is all the more difficult to hold that the French fiction does not export. The account therefore on also on the strings thematic ou TV Breizh. In contrast, Etienne Mougeotte recognizes that TF1 is not yet ready to exploit these works in video on demand (VoD) or mobile. The question of the VoD is still not determined. If TF1 makes his works available on the Internet "streaming" immediately after their release, it may alter the hearing at the first and second release. And if it allows to download, it may hamper its subsidiary TF1 video, which markets the DVD.

Etienne Mougeotte is formal: "In a landscape in full revolution with the arrival of new channels and new ways of consuming force of TF1 television, is to be able to submit new, exclusive and event programs such as fiction and sport." As long as we will be able to do this, we will have an incomparable advantage over competitors.