Disney+ in France turns to broadcast partnerships and puts ‘quality over quantity’

Hélène Etzi at Series Mania

Streamer Disney+ in France says collaborations with linear rivals will be key as it “shoots for the moon” with a quality-over-quantity content strategy, delegates at Series Mania heard.

On the final day of the forum in Lille, Hélène Etzi, country manager for the Walt Disney Company France, explained how partnerships with local broadcasters like TF1 and France Télévisions can benefit all parties.

Disney+ was launched in France five years ago and in that time has produced 18 original series. If that doesn’t sound a lot compared with some of its rivals’ output, Etzi claimed it is entirely intentional.

“Our motto is quality over quantity,” she said during a keynote session. “We’re shooting for the moon every time and we’re excruciatingly demanding in terms of the quality of production.

“It may be less [content] than others, but we invest in quality to surprise our viewers and sustain their attention.

“We also have the ability to succeed beyond our own borders. Local for local content works domestically but it’s also important for us to create stories with themes that can be impactful outside France, like our recent success with [biographical drama series] Becoming Karl Lagerfeld.”

Etzi told delegates that in the half decade that Disney+ has operated in France, the platform’s business models have evolved significantly to adapt to a “maturing market.”

One such shift has seen Disney+ forge perhaps unlikely partnerships with its linear competitors in France.

Last June, the streamer announced it was collaborating with broadcaster TF1 on a French version of hit UK comedy Ghosts, which will launch on Disney+ exclusively before airing on TF1. The 6×30’ series is produced by BBC Studios France and is filmed in the Paris region.

Last October, Disney+ revealed a similar arrangement with France Télévisions for comic book adaptation Lucky Luke. As the primary partner, Disney+ has the first window for the eight-part series, produced by Federation Studios and coproduced by Un Pour Tous Productions, while France Télévisions will air it later.

“It’s important to experiment with new models,” said Etzi. “By working with linear channels, we can be complementary rather than competitive. We can identify opportunities and share in them together.”

Etzi said Disney is placing its bets on programming with broad crossover appeal.

“Our stories need to be as successful as possible, not niche interest,” she said. “There is a saturation of content [in the wider market] and there’s been a battle for people’s attention, which has resulted in audience fragmentation. Those are the stakes.”