Two of the three parts, M6 and TF1, leave the ship Salto. This disengagement should convince France Télévisions, in search of money, to sell the platform. At Canal+?
We told you about it last week, the France Télévisions, TF1 and M6 groups, at the controls of the SVoD Salto platform, were to meet to decide the fate of their video service. The two private channels, TF1 and M6, have decided to withdraw, reports The echoes. As a result, the platform is likely to go on sale quickly.
A result not really up to the ambitions
First of all, a little reminder of the facts. Salto made its first pirouettes barely 2 years ago, in October 2020. This paid platform offers shows, films, series and documentaries mainly from the catalog of the three aforementioned groups, but not only, via a video on demand service. or replay. Users can also view live channels.
The service offers two subscription plans: monthly or annual. The first is billed at 7.99 euros per month, the second at 69.90 euros for 12 months. In any case, the subscription is non-binding and allows you to broadcast Salto on 3 simultaneous screens. A 30-day trial period is also offered.
At the end of 2022, the platform has approximately 800,000 subscribers and remains in deficit.
A boon for Canal+?
Which brings us to today. M6 and TF1, which hold two-thirds of the capital, have decided to stop gymnastics and withdraw. The France Télévisions group therefore has two options: buy back the shares of its former partners or sell the platform.
In a fairly tense financial context for the public service, the first option does not seem the most likely. At the end of October, Delphine Ernotte, the president of the group, announced that it had to find 45 million euros to complete its 2023 budget. It is therefore difficult to imagine the group reinjecting several tens of millions into Salto, initially endowed with an envelope of around 200 million. euros for 3 years.
The most plausible solution is therefore a sale. The main interested party would be Canal+. However, the Vivendi subsidiary also has views on OCS. The situation could force it to make a choice or, on the contrary, allow it to acquire the two platforms. If necessary, this double acquisition would be a possible lever to establish itself as a heavyweight in streaming on a European scale. However, the question of the catalog arises. We should have clarification in the next few days.
Source : The echoes
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