Few people believed in it, and ultimately few will be disappointed. Jump ultimately failed to find an audience for him. Despite its 800,000 to 900,000 subscribers, the “French Netflix” remains a money pit for its three shareholders. If TF1 and M6 have made known their desire to leave the capital at the end of November, France Télévisions, which had included the dissolution of the platform on the agenda of an extraordinary central social and economic committee this Friday, January 20, has finally decided in action : The platform announced the end of its existence on its website on Monday.
By bringing together French creations, Salto had the ambition to revolutionize the way of consuming television. At least that’s what Thomas Follin, the director of the platform, assured when it launched in October 2020.
The strong point at that moment? Provide access to all programs. When a channel broadcasts a single weekly episode, Salto offers to watch everything from the first episode to the last one available. The platform then hoped to play this card in soap operas. Of tomorrow belongs to us TO here everything begins going through the fire life is more beautiful, long-term fans of these stories were given access to preview the episodes before they appeared on television. The same was true of flagship programs such as Love is in the air.
Captain Marleau vs Captain America
Initially, Salto was going to be released in the first quarter of 2020. Like any project, the accumulated delay did not allow a first phase of testing before June 2020. Then, we had to adapt to the global pandemic. And therefore move the release window to September and finally October 2020.
However, during these procrastinations, the French acquired new habits during a first confinement. The launch of Salto -a few days after a second confinement- unfortunately did not change the reflections of television consumption taken at the beginning of the year. Especially with the arrival of Disney + in March 2020.
Because in addition to Netflix already well established, it was offered to the public on the one hand, Disney, Marvel and Star Wars. Opposite: investigations of captain marleauThe test of Fort Boyard or the adventures of Marseillesfree shows on tv.
As for exclusivity, the French platform has opened up late to programs that are not in the catalog of its three shareholders. However, this is what makes the strength of competing services. In May 2021, a special episode of the series Friends appears in jump The continuation of the sentimental adventures of Carrie Bradshaw in turn spices up interest in the series and only like that – Following sex and the city – at the end of 2021. The same goes for the reunion of the cast of the Harry Potter saga accessible for New Year’s Day 2022.
unfair fight
But this series of micro-events isn’t enough to keep viewers active in the long run. As of September 2021, an NPA Conseil/Harris Interactive OTT barometer indicates that Salto’s penetration rate is only 2.4%. This is much less than Disney+ (16.3%), Amazon Prime Video (24.9%) or the leader Netflix (38%).
Especially since financially, the situation is complicated. How to fight with a budget of 135 million euros when Netflix has 17,000 million dollars to finance its programs.
Everything gets more complex yet again when TF1 and M6 plan to merge. Delphine Ernotte, the head of France Télévisions, sees no future in the public audiovisual group project. She is seriously considering selling her shares in Salto. “In the context of the TF1-M6 merger, this is an option to concentrate our efforts on France.tv”, she explained then.
everyone takes their part
With the marriage of the century aborted, TF1 and M6’s enthusiasm for Salto falters. Especially since the losses accumulate: 80 million euros in 2022, according to Les Echos. Since the launch, the financial gap amounts to 200 million euros, or just over 66 million euros for each of the shareholders.
At the end of 2022, the two private channels made the decision to leave the platform. Faced with this defection, France Télévisions had to do the same. Salto’s future seemed to be sustained only with the arrival of a new shareholder. But the profile of the only candidate, the Spanish Agile, left little hope. Above all because with his actions, each shareholder will resume their programs, which today constitute the only interest for a future buyer.
For Salto, it is therefore the end of a brief adventure.
Source: BFM TV
