(AOF) – The TF1 group announces the acquisition of the next European Women’s Championship which will take place in Switzerland in July 2025. The agreement includes the rights to linear and streaming broadcasting, exclusively and in full, of the 31 matches of the competition. During the previous edition in 2022, the defeat of Les Bleues in the semi-final brought together more than 6 million viewers on the front page. “The TF1 group reaffirms its desire to offer free exhibition of the biggest competitions in European and international football,” specifies the television channel in a press release.
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Key points
– Leading French television group with 30.5% audience share among 25-49 year olds;
– Five free-to-air channels -TF1, TMC, LCI, TFX, TF SERIES FILMS- 4 pay-TV thematic channels -TV Breizh, Histoire, Ushuaïa and SérieClub- and a digital replay platform, MYTF1;
– Turnover of €2.4 billion, 80% generated in France and divided into three sectors: advertising on channels (76% of revenue), studio and entertainment activities (17%) with Newen and the division “Digital Unify”, bringing together the activities carried out under the brands Aufeminin, Doctissimo, Gamned! Marmiton, MylittleParis, Studio71 and Digital Factory;
– Business model based on 4 strengths: human, intellectual (editorial, commercial and content producer know-how), financial (solid equity and cash flow) and physical capital;
– Capital locked by Bouygues (45.2%) and by employees (11.1%) and by the legislative impossibility of a takeover bid, Rodolphe Belmer being chairman and CEO of the board of 11 directors;
– Very healthy balance sheet with shareholders’ equity of €1.9 billion and, at the end of June, a net surplus of €365 million.
Challenges
– 5-point strategy: strengthening leadership in linear, monetization of the advertising offer and the free streaming service, organic growth of Newen Studios and Tech&Media skills;
– Innovation strategy implemented upstream with content production, downstream with digital, relying on the TF1 FabLab:
– creation of a BtoC division to boost the linear offer,
– via the ONE24 program, total convergence in the marketing of video inventories and via ONE DATA, grouping of consumer targeting possibilities:
– expansion of Tech Media in OTT, AdTech, open innovation and the cloud;
– support for start-ups (more than 50), with acceleration program (from creation to distribution) via the One Inno fund, the Media Lab and 3 innovation hubs
;
– Environmental strategy:
– for 2030: reduction of 30%, compared to 2019, in CO2 emissions via co-production, digital sobriety, soft mobility and decarbonization of purchases,
– for 2025: 35% reduction in electricity consumption of the TF1 tower;
– First advertising agency in France, with remarkable multi-media expertise.
Challenges
– Highly regulated sector with limits to redeployments and external growth, uncertainties linked to the rise of video on demand, connected TV and the power of new players – Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime and, in 2023, Max…;
–
Expectation of a redefinition of the growth strategy;
– Towards a tightening of cost savings in 2024 to compensate for declines in advertising revenue;
– End of the financial year marked by the broadcast of the Rugby Cup, the return of “Here it all begins” and the international deployment of the HPI series;
– After a decline of 12.5% in turnover and 9.9% in net profit as of June 30, outlook for 2023:
– quality of the free linear offer, affirmation of the 1st French free streaming platform and, for Newen, development of promising projects;
– operating margin rate close to 2022 and stable or growing dividend policy.
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