A year after its launch, a mixed record for Salto

The Salto platform signs a “big blow” with the exclusive broadcast of

, the sequel to the adventures of the heroines of

, after a difficult first year for this new French streaming service.

Launched by the France Télévisions, TF1 and M6 groups in October 2020, the platform can thus boast of a second success after the broadcast in May of the special episode of the reunion of the members of the emblematic

series

.

The exclusivity negotiated by Salto had then enabled it to beat "all records", assured the platform at the time.

If these series make it possible to attract the public from time to time, it is however difficult to know if they have made it possible to retain it, because the platform has not yet communicated the number of sustainable subscribers recorded.

These American releases were also able to scramble Salto's message, which explains promoting the "influence of French and European audiovisual creation".

Find "the programs that appeal the most to the French public"

The strategy behind its catalog, made up of both exclusive content (foreign and French) and numerous reruns of TV programs, raises questions. Certain programs are in fact already accessible free of charge on the “replay” platforms of the Salto proprietary channels. And event series (such as

 on the disappearance of little Gregory on TF1) are not broadcast simultaneously on the platform.

“Our ambition is to be the French entertainment platform,” explains Thomas Crosson, content director at Salto.

The service thus intends to offer "the programs that appeal the most to the French public", whether French or foreign, in preview or in full, he specifies.

Hence the rerun of the entire

series

or the

films

before the releases of two films eagerly awaited by fans.

An increasing level of penetration

Despite these ambitions, the platform is struggling to gain a foothold in the ultra-competitive subscription video on demand (SVOD) market.

Salto recorded a penetration level of 2.4% in September, far behind the 16.3% posted by Disney +, 24.9% by Amazon Prime Video and 38% for Netflix, its main competitors, according to the OTT NPA Conseil / Harris Interactive.

But progress is noted, notes Philippe Bailly, president of the consulting firm NPA and expert in the sector.

"Last December, there were 0.7% of French people who said they were subscribers", he notes, against "2.4% in September" 2021. A "significant" development in less than a year, he believes.

Salto is thus doing better than Apple TV which recorded in September only 1.98% of penetration level.

The differences between the platforms must also be observed with regard to their room for maneuver.

The French service is thus subject to more constraints, in particular from the Competition Authority, notes the specialist.

What future for Salto with the TF1-M6 merger?

Funded to the tune of 135 million euros by its shareholders, Salto cannot compete in terms of financing, facing the 17 billion dollars of investment from the giant Netflix for the year 2021 alone. The platform is not yet profitable and the deficit has widened since its creation.

As for the future, it presents "a lot of unknowns" for Salto, notes Philippe Bailly.

SVOD services are slowing down at the end of the year "in terms of conquering new subscribers, but also viewing habits".

And the probable merger of TF1 and M6 raises new questions.

The president of France Televisions, Delphine Ernotte, recently indicated that her group did not rule out selling its shares in Salto "in the context of the merger of TF1-M6".

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