Julie Degroote, EVP Head of Content development and international, TF1 is in charge of adapting international entertainment formats, as well as creating new one. On this conversation for MIPFormat, he underlined the main trends in the French market.
TF1 is the leading private free TV network in France, targeting a broader young and family audience, and programming shinny floor entertainment shows such us Survivor (Banijay), The Mask Singer (FOX USA), Ninja Warriors (TBS Japan), among others, as well as factual entertainment titles.
TMC is the first DTT channel in France: 25-49, urban is the most important target, offering to them docuseries, journalism, humor and comedy, as well as premium content. And TFX is for young adults with reality TV and factual entertainment as Supper Nany, Wife Swap and Cleaners (Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners, Channel 4 UK).
‘We tend to have 50% and 50% in terms of international formats vs. local developments. On the last three year, on the daily slots, almost 2/3 of the shows were paper formats (originals) created by our team or co-created with producers. On prime time, it is easier to adapt international format after a big success such us The Mask Singer’.
But TF1 also has space for creativity: ‘Last year we have on prime-time District Z, cocreated with Satisfaction and Sony, and it was a big success. And last month, we launched Mystery Duos, and The Secret Song, from Can’t Stop Media create for us and adapted then in Finland and Italy. Both, originals or paper formats, work very well on TF1’.
‘With the pandemic, people want to have easy-to-watch family shows with good feelings and positive messages. Joyful prime time content is what we are looking for. Contestants, celebrities, singing, playing that’s the formula’, concluded the executive, who also announced Talpa Media’ Marbel Mania, which did very well in The Netherlands.
