The StreamTV Show makes its European debut in Lisbon, 13-15 April, where industry leaders will come together as they shape the next phase of TV in Europe.
StreamTV Insider is excited to bring you the StreamTV Europe Spotlight Series, which gives readers a taste of key topics and takeaways from major European players and what to expect with insights from leading speakers, companies and attendees participating in show.
Want to learn more and be part of the conversation? Register to attend StreamTV Europe today.
This StreamTV Europe Spotlight features Patrice Courtaban, EVP Global Growth and Business Development of French-based global public service broadcaster TV5MONDE and CEO of the TV5MONDE USA division.
In the Q&A below Courtaban discusses the free streaming value proposition and CTV advertising in Europe, expanding FAST channels, which content genres are hitting the mark to cross borders and resonate with viewers, and more.
Edited Q&A
- StreamTV Insider: TV5MONDE has roots as a leading French-language general interest legacy TV network, with a presence in more than 200 countries and territories with 437 million households. But you’ve also made a successful pivot into streaming with the free TV5MONDE+ service and an expanding global footprint of FAST channels. As you’ve evolved the business, what factors influenced or gave confidence in your decision to pursue a free ad-supported streaming model?
Patrice Courtaban: As a global public service broadcaster, our mission is to reach audiences wherever they are, across all platforms and distribution channels. We focus on delivering high-quality content, from news to entertainment, which is at the heart of what we do and why audiences keep tuning in.
The growth of AVOD and FAST has helped us reach new viewers who are moving away from traditional Pay TV and spending more time with free content on connected TVs and digital devices.
Just over 12 months after launching our FAST offering, we’re already seeing strong momentum. Growth is happening not only in the Americas and Europe, but also in newer markets like the MENA region, India, Australia, and across APAC.
- STV Insider: How are you seeing the FAST market, adoption and monetization unfold in Europe and does it differ from what you see in the U.S.?
PC: FAST adoption in Europe is catching up with the U.S., with both consumption and ad monetization growing across the board. The European CTV advertising market is expected to grow threefold by 2031, with programmatic advertising currently expanding at around +30% year over year.
The market remains more fragmented, with a wider mix of OEMs and CTV operating systems, but like in the U.S., a handful of major players still dominate.
What’s interesting is that FAST platforms are increasingly positioning themselves as an alternative to traditional linear TV operators, with stronger content lineups and more localized offerings. In some markets, they are even carrying broadcast channels within their lineups.
- STV Insider: In February TV5MONDE launched three new FAST channels on Plex in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Latin America. For readers that might be more familiar with the U.S. market, can you share a little bit about the opportunity and appetite you’re seeing for FAST in general and TV5MONDE content specifically, from a viewer perspective, in international markets like these?
PC: When we started developing our FAST offering, we focused on content that really reflects the DNA of TV5MONDE, with themes that could resonate broadly and travel well across different markets and cultures. Lifestyle quickly stood out as a natural fit.
Channels like TV5MONDE Voyage and TV5MONDE Chefs have worked particularly well across regions, with local subtitling. (Currently in English and Spanish, with Portuguese and Arabic coming soon.)
At the same time, we wanted to offer something distinctive global while staying true to who we are as a brand. It’s been very encouraging to see these channels perform not only in our core markets, but also in the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East.
One of the most interesting learnings has been the performance of TV5MONDE Info.
We initially thought news would remain mostly local, with audiences prioritizing national sources. But the channel is doing well in markets like the United States, Italy, India, and Australia, which shows there is a real appetite for international perspectives.
- STV Insider: TV5MONDE has been able to grow its global FAST channel footprint to now reach over 40 million users across the U.S. and globally, what are some of the key factors you would attribute that traction to?
PC: TV5MONDE has been distributed globally for over 40 years, which has helped us build strong brand recognition. That brand equity has been a real asset as we’ve developed our FAST offering.
As always, distribution is key. We’ve been able to quickly establish a solid global footprint by partnering with major OEMs and FAST platform operators.
There is still a lot of room to grow, and we expect to continue expanding our reach over the next few years.
- STV Insider: Have you found any commonalities around the types or genres of content that are most successful at crossing borders to resonate in multiple markets and if so, what are some examples? Are there any additional genres that you plan to lean into to expand your FAST channel lineup?
PC: Lifestyle content such as fashion, travel, trends, and food has strong cross-cultural appeal, making it particularly well suited for global FAST audiences. These categories are still expanding across FAST lineups, and we believe we’ve benefited from an early mover advantage.
We’re always looking to expand our offering, with potential opportunities to launch new channels based on market dynamics. As we grow, we’re learning a lot and gathering more data.
At the end of the day, it’s about engagement. We want viewers to tune in and come back, whether it’s FAST, linear, or VOD. With so much content available, curation really matters, and brands remain meaningful to many viewers.
Want to learn more and be part of the conversation? Register to attend StreamTV Europe today.