Then of course there is an economic calculation

Film "Coluche" was released yesterday in the cinema in nearly 500 theatres in France. The story of a guy who breaks the game politics by announcing his candidacy for the 1981 presidential election and the beginning everyone is very funny... Equipped with a large budget of EUR 9 million, Antoine de Caunes film is coproduced by Studio 37, a subsidiary of France Telecom. Without the famous overalls and t-shirt yellow, but with his orange tie, Didier Lombard, CEO of the telephone operator, would be well, him, yet the French audiovisual landscape. This is in any case his purpose. Better, he hoped outright revolutionize PAF, as he proclaims to want to "invent the TV of tomorrow".

Purchase of the rights to broadcast football games, multiplication of agreements with the Hollywood majors, creation of television, launch offers satellite television, presence at the Cannes film festival, sponsored by the American place Canal Deauville film Festival... In 2008, Orange has developed the package on the content, fiefdom of the encrypted string so far.

No wonder, therefore, that the two groups have become the best two enemies of the world. There are more statements of the leaders of Canal and its shareholder, Vivendi, vilifying the arrival of Orange. According to Bertrand Méheut, the boss of Canal , "is not the job of France Telecom" to invest in the audio-visual sector. "Accumulate rights is not enough." Must be put in value! ", a custom to say the former boss of Aventis agrochemical activity.

The content, "oxygen networks".

If the pay-TV bouquet has never really believed that Orange would invest heavily in the media, the first marks of interest of the operator of Telecom for this domain are yet not yesterday. It is in 2003, with the launch of the TV by ADSL, France Telecom began to look at audiovisual. Project by Thierry Breton, President and CEO of the time, supported by Didier Lombard, then in charge of technology and the new uses, and implemented by Patricia Langrand, responsible for the division contained. Step by step, Orange has built its offer, despite the difficulties encountered in a House of engineers, a priori little attracted by the glitter: video on demand, distribution of the clumps of fire GST and Canal Satellite on ADSL... To create its own bouquet of channels. All by hiring people from the media. This is the case of Xavier Couture, former TF1 and Canal , which stands in the gray world of X-telecoms. "I bring my knowledge of the public to Orange and my imaginative side." "I am here to provide ideas, create innovative services," explained the person, appointed Director of the content of France Telecom. When skills are not available internally, the group is also known to delegate. The contents of the string Orange Sport are for example made by Sportever, the society of the former sports journalist Patrick Chêne.

But why invest in audiovisual programs The answer lies in technological considerations. Good old copper wire that was used just to call now to broadcast music, video and the Internet. And tomorrow, with fibre optics, the pipes will get even more content. "Orange invents a new grammar of content and television." "Each Subscriber can be in close and direct relationship with us," explains Xavier Couture. Five years ago, our customers were paying for the phone, says Raoul Roverato, responsible for new growth activities. With the arrival of broadband networks, they pay for Internet access. And they want television with. "Almost 1.5 million French are already watching television, often free, via their subscription with Orange.

Then, of course, there is an economic calculation. Orange does not want to be reduced to the role of simple layer of pipes, invest permanently without out of additional income. "Content are the oxygen of my networks", cowardly Didier Lombard, last April, at the MIP TV, the Congress where all purchasers of programs of the world are found. The CEO of France Telecom sensation: it takes advantage of this major event to announce the creation of its bouquet of 5 strings oriented movies and series, following agreements with the Hollywood Warner and MGM studios as well as with the American channel HBO. After football, in February, the film... New blow for Canal . By offering exclusive films, series, and the poster of the Saturday evening of football France Championship, Orange hopes well to retain subscribers, and even attract new.

The ancient and the modern

"Content are a differentiating element with the objective to protect the average invoice, or even to increase slightly in the coming years", explains Antoine Pradayrol, financial analyst with Exane BNP Paribas. Raoul Roverato adds a purely stock argument: "areas that display the most beautiful prospects for growth are content and online advertising." It is on this basis that the financial markets value us. At the time where the giants of the Internet such as Google and Yahoo. show of interest in the telecoms, the expansion of our palette is a critical element for France Telecom keeps its place among the great.

A point of view certainly shared by all major telecom operators. But all are not launched so far in the acquisition of own content. "If it had found a partner able to offer us what we had wanted, it does would be never gone to buy rights", said Raoul Roverato. Very complicated to identify steps that could be the "partner": Canal , of course. Since France Telecom would not be reduced to the simple role of distributor of the bouquet of Canal because of the low margin generated by this type of activity. Operator has therefore sought to create its own bouquet by its market among the chains of the audiovisual group. That he refused. "Our relations with Canal started to deteriorate late 2007, when we launched our own chain of sports information," says Raoul Roverato. Xavier Couture does not say anything: "Canal wanted keep its monopoly on pay television." "Orange has created its own chain of sport after his refusal to cede Infosport." Clearly, the Orange leaders accuse the inertia of Canal to be the source of their offensive content... "But would beyond these quarrels, the logic that we are partners," added the leader, although optimistic.

Here, France Telecom plays the quarrel of the ancient and modern. The novelty of Orange is in one word, repeated in a loop by leaders: interactivity. It is "the TV when I want when I want". On the TV, PC or mobile. If the client likes soccer, he subscribes to Orange Foot. If he loves cinema, he has access to five strings "film series". "It stands of Canal by interactivity and because we have three additional screens: PC, mobile, TV", explains Xavier Couture.

A complex economic equation

Remains whether France Telecom can really imposed himself in the audio-visual sector and profitable EUR 203 million a year invested in football... Economically, the equation appears difficult to resolve. 6 Euros per month for the game on Saturday night, prices to be add subscription "Internet triple play", i.e. nearly 42 euros per month, the addition is salted... She also grind the teeth of many supporters of football. Except that Canal subscription costs him 30 euros per month, without Internet and unlimited phone. "There is an opportunity in France to the small pieces of what Canal ." "A consumer may prefer pay 6 euros for a string it wants instead of 30 euros for a bouquet with lots of programs that it will never look at," said Antoine Pradayrol.

It is on this that France Telecom. The launch of Orange cinema series is here to prove it: five strings based film for 12 euros per month giving access to more than 75 exclusives by year, films that can watch TV on PC or on his mobile, at the request. The Viewer does more to impose a grid of programs, but watch the films when he wants to. Orange believes that there is thus an economic space between Canal and a cheaper bouquet.

Petition of the supporters of football

But its entry into force in the audio-visual sector is not to the liking of all. And especially not that of Canal , who denounced the conditions in which sometimes the Mastodon of telecoms. "For Orange, cultural contents are just a pretext to sell its network," estimated in the encrypted string. Bertrand Méheut likes to develop two arguments: first, France Telecom holds a dominant position in the fixed telephony and uses this "annuity" to enter the market of content. Then, it is the principle of confinement which is shown the finger. It must first subscribe to the telephone and the Internet of France Telecom before you can access the programs of Orange, while Canal is available on all platforms and all providers of Internet access.

This exclusive content is also watched closely by the Constable of telecoms (Arcep). For him, if he is to compete with Canal , no problem. But if it is to evict Free and Internet market Numéricable broadband, then, he indicated that he will not sit idly.

Critics are even more vivid that viewers of Orange remain few. Since the opening of the football championship, the operator suffered a hail of criticism. At issue, the few subscribers in its chain and the lack of visibility of the game Saturday night. "There are more people in the stadium before the TV!" joke that some critics. Patterns of club and even professional football League President Frederic Thiriez to are moved in. For fans, some even launched a petition that the Orange Foot string to be "accessible to all" through all of the operators. It has so far collected 3.900 signatures. "We left in early August for running a marathon", defending Xavier Couture. Seeking to calm, the Director of the content of France Telecom indicated late September to "The team" that the chain of football had 50,000 subscribers. This is less than the 80,000 seats in the stadium of France...