FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS, RAI and ZDF decide to create THE ALLIANCE

May 3^rd, 2018

FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS, RAI and ZDF decide to create

 THE ALLIANCE

The growing position of new players into the TV series global market, especially OTT players, is upsetting European audiovisual landscape at large.

Due to this unprecedented and worldwide wave of TV series productions (“Peak TV”), European Public Broadcasters (EPB) reinvent themselves and contemplate a new era in their collaboration.

In an Op-Ed published in Le Monde in 2017, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, CEO of France Télévisions, displayed a European ambition: "Networks limit their scope to national markets whereas our viewers are watching TV series from around the world. The European Public Broadcasters invest €14 billion annually in original programming, while Netflix invests only €7 billion. If we share some of these resources, we can tomorrow weigh on the international scene. "

Within this international new frame, France Télévisions joins forces with RAI (Italy) and ZDF (Germany) to launch The Alliance, a European production pool whose aim is to finance innovative, qualitative and bigger TV series for the viewers in Europe and all around the world.

Delphine Ernotte Cunci: "I think we have to implement one or more SVoD services, but we cannot copycat Netflix scheme because it does not fit our European political and economic organization. But I would say that we have the means to create this positive environment whose sole purpose is to foster European creation to very high standards. That's why I'm fighting, and it's the right time ".

The Alliance consists of 3 European Public Media Services: France Télévisions, Rai and ZDF, with the potential participation of several other strong EPB on a project basis:  RTVE (Spain) – RTBF (Belgium) – VRT (Belgium) – RTS (Switzerland). The remaining European Public Broadcasters could if they wish become partners of The Alliance.

Furthermore, The Alliance sees itself as a flexible and project-driven organization, meaning that its members can either carry out co-productions with one or several public partners of The Alliance, or other partners outside The Alliance.

• To its members, The Alliance will provide a creative cooperation space, mainly the Members will keep each other informed of the co-production projects that each of them plan to make at European level, to give each other and as soon as possible the opportunity to examine the possibility of participation. The Alliance will ensure that linear and non-linear TV rights shall remain within EPB services.

• The Alliance will help production companies all over Europe to discover at early stage original programming likely to compete in each country with the best of international production and likely to shine outside Europe. The Alliance will be a facilitator for national producers, an entry point for other territories in Europe.