TF1 goes Over The Top

By Robert Briel
April 13, 2010 13.20 UK

MIPCOM 2010 – CANNES. French commercial broadcaster TF1 is showing its Over The Top solution on a Samsung TV set here at the MIP Digital Showcases & Lounge.

Although Yahoo is still showing its widgets at this year’s MIP, broadcasters are less enthusiastic about the fact that this gives competing channels the change to show their widget on all channels. Broadcasters are of the opinion that once a viewer is tuned to a certain channel, they own that space.

In France, the major broadcasters are now working together with CE manufacturers to bring their own widgets on their channels. TF1 is working with Samsung, M6 with Sony and Canal+ with LG to implement such applications. For the moment, these agreements are exclusive with each manufacturer.

TF1 is showing its proprietary widgets with a TV Guide to the channel, a weather widget, a news and an Eurosport branded sports widget as well as one for a local game show. As soon as a viewer tunes to TF1, he has access to the widgets, which offer via a broadband connection additional content.

At the same time, TF1, as well as most other French broadcasters, are working to develop HbbTV applications to offer viewers an even better Over The Top experience.

Soon, a VOD widget giving access to the Tf1 on-demand and catch-up TV service will be added, according to Stephane Cadoch, business development and partnership manager for IPTV and Connected TV at TF1.

Tf1 is also showing the on-demand portal MyTF1, which it developed for IPTV operator Bouyges Telecom. The application gives access to the VOD library of the broadcaster, as well as a seven-day catch-up TV service. The broadcaster is expected to roll out the service to all other IPTV providers during the next few months.