Television in France
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Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
was introduced in 1931, when the first experimental broadcasts began.
Colour television Color television or Colour television is a television transmission technology that includes color information for the picture, so the video image can be displayed in color on the television set. It improves on the monochrome or black-and-white t ...
was introduced in October 1967 on La Deuxième Chaîne.


Digital terrestrial television

The digital terrestrial television platform was launched on 31 March 2005 after a short testing period. Like
Freeview Freeview may refer to: * Freeview (Australia), the marketing name for the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia * Freeview (New Zealand), a digital satellite and digital terrestrial television platform in New Zealand *Freeview (UK), ...
in the UK, it provides many new channels, as well as the current terrestrial television stations. Like the rest of Europe, France uses the DVB-T transmission technology. The 13 first digital free channels were launched on 31 March 2005. In October, 4 additional free channels were added: the 24h news channels BFM TV and I-Télé, the music and entertainment youth channel Europe 2 TV, and the free children channel
Gulli Gulli (; stylised as gulli) is a French free-to-air television channel focused on kids programming for those aged 3 to 14. It was created as a result of a partnership between Lagardère Active and state-owned broadcaster France Télévisions. ...
, joint-venture between
Lagardère Active Lagardère Active SAS, also known as Lagardère Media, is the media activities arm of the French Lagardère Group. Its subsidiaries include Lagardère's radio operations, television networks, and book and magazine publishers. In 2018, Arnaud Lag ...
and France Télévisions. Pay channels were progressively added until 2006:
TPS Star TPS Star was a French general entertainment channel broadcasting movies, sports and sitcoms. It started broadcasting in 1996 as the flagship general channel of the newly launched TPS satellite platform, competing with Canal+ of the CanalSat plat ...
,
Paris Première Paris Première is a French public TV channel, available on cable, satellite and the digital terrestrial service, Télévision Numérique Terrestre. It was launched on 15 December 1986 and is now wholly owned by the Groupe M6. Programming ...
, Canal+ Sport, Canal+ Cinéma,
AB1 AB1 ''(formally AB Channel 1 until 1995)'' is a French television channel aimed at young adults. History AB1 launched on Eutelsat's Hot Bird satellite and on cable on December 1, 1995 as AB Channel 1 nearly a year before the launch of the AB ...
, Planète, TF6,
Canal J Canal J (stylised as canal J) is a French pay public television channel dedicated to children's programming. It is aimed at children aged seven to fourteen. On 1 February 2019, M6 Group entered negotiations to acquire the television unit o ...
, LCI and
Eurosport Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its international sports unit, it operates two main channels— Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2—across most of its territories, ...
. Regional channels started to launch on the TNT in 2007. Due to the unsuccess of the pay-DTT, the terrestrial broadcast was abandoned by
AB1 AB1 ''(formally AB Channel 1 until 1995)'' is a French television channel aimed at young adults. History AB1 launched on Eutelsat's Hot Bird satellite and on cable on December 1, 1995 as AB Channel 1 nearly a year before the launch of the AB ...
in October 2008 and
Canal J Canal J (stylised as canal J) is a French pay public television channel dedicated to children's programming. It is aimed at children aged seven to fourteen. On 1 February 2019, M6 Group entered negotiations to acquire the television unit o ...
on 30 April 2009. On 14 December 2010, the CSA selected CFoot to relaunch a pay terrestrial channel. This channel was owned by the
Ligue de Football Professionnel The Ligue de Football Professionnel (, ''Professional Football League''), commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority o ...
, to raise the stakes of French football leagues, and was launched in July 2011 on the LCN 34 of the TNT (formerly assigned to AB1). With the arrival of
BeIN Sports beIN Sports ( ) is a global network of sports channels owned and operated by the Qatari media group beIN. It has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its CEO is Yousef O ...
, CFoot closed on 31 May 2012. In addition,
TPS Star TPS Star was a French general entertainment channel broadcasting movies, sports and sitcoms. It started broadcasting in 1996 as the flagship general channel of the newly launched TPS satellite platform, competing with Canal+ of the CanalSat plat ...
closed in the same month. TF1 and M6 closed their pay channel TF6 on 31 December 2014. In early 2015,
Eurosport Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its international sports unit, it operates two main channels— Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2—across most of its territories, ...
ceased its terrestrial broadcast after TF1 sold it to
Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discover ...
. By 2012, the digital terrestrial television services were expected to cover at least 95% of the French metropolitan population. Five high-definition (HD) channels (four
free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...
and one subscription) were launched in October 2008 using also the
H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and distr ...
format. In September 2005,
pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...
channels were launched that use the MPEG-4 format, unlike most of Europe, which uses MPEG-2. Pay-per-view terrestrial channels use
H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and distr ...
. TNT is the first service to implement
Dolby Digital Plus Dolby Digital Plus, also known as Enhanced AC-3 (and commonly abbreviated as DDP, DD+, E-AC-3 or EC-3) is a digital audio compression scheme developed by Dolby Labs for transport and storage of multi-channel digital audio. It is a successor to D ...
as an
audio codec An audio codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream (a codec) that encodes or decodes audio. In software, an audio codec is a computer program implementing an algorithm that compresses and decompres ...
on its high-definition channels. Viewers must buy a TV set (or
set-top box A set-top box (STB), also colloquially known as a cable box and historically television decoder, is an information appliance device that generally contains a TV-tuner input and displays output to a television set and an external source of sign ...
) that supports both MPEG-4
H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), also referred to as H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10, is a video compression standard based on block-oriented, motion-compensated coding. It is by far the most commonly used format for the recording, compression, and distr ...
and DD+ to enjoy HD channels.
Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
broadcasts were switched off on 30 November 2011 on all platforms, whether it is terrestrial,
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...
or
cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
. Overseas departments and territories (such as
French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...
and
Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
) also terminated all analog broadcasts on the same day.


DTT transition

By 2008, 34% of the French population was using analogue TV as an only reception mode. The next year, the city of Coulommiers switched to digital-only TV, serving as a test city for TDF. By the end of 2009, analog TV was shut off in the Nord
Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
, and TDF reported no major reception problems. Citizens in DTT test zones were informed that analog TV would shut down by early 2009, and consequently they adapted their installation. For the rest of the country, the shut-off progressed by regions, more precisely
France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services provi ...
regions. It means that every transmitters broadcasting ''France 3 Méditerranée Provence-Alpes'' went digital-terrestrial on the same date, another date for those that broadcast ''France 3 Bourgogne Franche-Comté''. The analog shut-off occurred in 2010 in the north; the south was the last to phase out analog television broadcasts. For three months before shutting down an analogue transmitter, it transmitted the DTT multiplexes so that viewers could adapt their installation on time. Also, a message was displayed as marquee on analog channels warning the viewer that he would no longer receive TV if he or she did not switch to digital. To help people installing their DTT reception equipment, the French government created "France Télé Numérique". It made didactic videos, television advertisements, and went through the local markets, to meet people and solve their problems regarding DTT reception. Elderly people and those with restricted financial conditions, received help from the French government; so that they could switch to DTT easily. The most common adapters sold in the market only decode MPEG-2 and have only one
SCART SCART (also known as or , especially in France, 21-pin EuroSCART in marketing by Sharp in Asia, Euroconector in Spain, EuroAV or EXT, or EIA Multiport in the United States, as an EIA interface) is a French-originated standard and associated 2 ...
output socket. Old TV sets (before 1980) need a UHF modulator between the TV and the set-top box, as they have no SCART socket. Unlike VCRs, DVB-T set-top boxes rarely include such a
modulator In electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform, called the ''carrier signal'', with a separate signal called the ''modulation signal'' that typically contains informatio ...
, and a SCART to RCA adaptor is often needed to feed the modulator with the signal. The solution recommended by France Télé Numérique is just to buy a new TV set instead of using a modulator. On 30 October 2008, the TNT HD was launched with four national channels: TF1,
France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 A ...
, M6 and
Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...
. On 8 June 2010, the overseas France dedicated channel
France Ô France Ô () was a French free-to-air television channel featuring programming from the French overseas departments and collectivities in Metropolitan France. It was part of the France Télévisions group. Its overseas counterpart is Outre-Mer ...
became available nationally on TNT channel 19, taking the vacant frequencies of the pay channel
AB1 AB1 ''(formally AB Channel 1 until 1995)'' is a French television channel aimed at young adults. History AB1 launched on Eutelsat's Hot Bird satellite and on cable on December 1, 1995 as AB Channel 1 nearly a year before the launch of the AB ...
which left the pay-DTT. Before, it was available locally in
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
starting from 24 September 2007. On 30 November 2010, the digital terrestrial television launched in
Overseas France Overseas France (french: France d'outre-mer) consists of 13 French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly the remains of the French colonial empire that chose to remain a part of the French state under various statuses after decoloni ...
, with 8 public channels: La Première,
France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 A ...
,
France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services provi ...
,
France 4 France 4 () is a French free-to-air television channel owned by France Télévisions, focused on children's programming. The colour of France 4 is purple. Originally launched as Festival in 1996, the channel took its current name in 2005 when it ...
,
France 5 France 5 () is a French free-to-air public television channel, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is ''la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir'' (the knowledge network). ...
,
France Ô France Ô () was a French free-to-air television channel featuring programming from the French overseas departments and collectivities in Metropolitan France. It was part of the France Télévisions group. Its overseas counterpart is Outre-Mer ...
,
Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...
and
France 24 France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market. Based in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-Mo ...
(replaced by France Info on 8 April 2019). Most territories also have up to three local private channels. On 12 December 2012, six new HD national channels were launched ( HD1,
L'Équipe 21 ''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby, motorsport, and cycling. Its predecessor was ...
, 6ter,
Numéro 23 RMC Story, formerly known as Numéro 23 and initially as TVous La télédiversité, is a French independent TV television channel founded by Diversité TV France. It launched its broadcasts on 12 December 2012 and is the 23rd national television ...
,
RMC Découverte RMC Découverte is a French television channel broadcast on channel 24 and owned by NextRadioTV. Created in 2012, it mainly broadcasts documentaries such as ''Wheeler Dealers'', '' Ancient Aliens'', Swamp Loggers. RMC Découverte broadcasts th ...
and
Chérie 25 Chérie 25 () is a French TV channel, controlled by the NRJ Group. Chérie 25 is launched on TNT, satellite, and xDSL on 12 December 2012. The channel is named after the radio station Chérie FM, owned by the same group. History In 2011, Jean ...
). On 5 April 2016, the Metropolitan France fully transitioned to MPEG-4 with
HDTV High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the g ...
for almost all channels, and LCI became free-to-air. On 1 September 2016,
France Télévisions France Télévisions (; stylized since 2018 as ) is the French national public television broadcaster. It is a state-owned company formed from the integration of the public television channels France 2 (formerly Antenne 2) and France 3 (form ...
launched its news channel
France Info France Info (stylised as franceinfo:) is a French Public broadcasting, public broadcasting service produced in collaboration with France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and the Institut national de l'audiovisuel. The serv ...
on channel 27. France Ô was downgraded to SD to make place for France Info.
France Ô France Ô () was a French free-to-air television channel featuring programming from the French overseas departments and collectivities in Metropolitan France. It was part of the France Télévisions group. Its overseas counterpart is Outre-Mer ...
closed on 24 August 2020.
France Info France Info (stylised as franceinfo:) is a French Public broadcasting, public broadcasting service produced in collaboration with France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and the Institut national de l'audiovisuel. The serv ...
was upgraded to HD in Metropolitan France, and La Première were upgraded to HD in Overseas France. On 1 February 2021, France Télévisions launched on channel 19, to promote cultural events during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
France 4 France 4 () is a French free-to-air television channel owned by France Télévisions, focused on children's programming. The colour of France 4 is purple. Originally launched as Festival in 1996, the channel took its current name in 2005 when it ...
and France Info were downgraded to SD to make room on the multiplex. On 1 May, Culturebox starts timesharing with France 4, which upgraded to HD with France Info.


DTT on satellite

TNT channels are also available for reception by satellite, broadcast from the Astra satellites at 19.2° east with TNT SAT and from Atlantic Bird 3 with FRANSAT. Some of the channels are encrypted but there is no subscription charge, and both the set-top box and viewing card (valid for four years) that are required are available from
hypermarkets A hypermarket (sometimes called a hyperstore, supercentre or superstore) is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including ...
. The public channels
France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 A ...
,
France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services provi ...
,
France 5 France 5 () is a French free-to-air public television channel, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is ''la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir'' (the knowledge network). ...
,
France Ô France Ô () was a French free-to-air television channel featuring programming from the French overseas departments and collectivities in Metropolitan France. It was part of the France Télévisions group. Its overseas counterpart is Outre-Mer ...
, LCP and the Franco-German channel
arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...
are
free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...
on Atlantic Bird 3. During the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, France 2 and France 3 were blacked out to viewers outside France. France 2, 3 and 4 were also blacked out outside France during the 2018 FIFA World Cup when they shared French TV rights for the tournament with TF1 and
beIN Sports beIN Sports ( ) is a global network of sports channels owned and operated by the Qatari media group beIN. It has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its CEO is Yousef O ...
.


Other technologies

Most
internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privat ...
s in France now offer
digital television Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative adva ...
(
IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded med ...
) packages through triple-play
set-top box A set-top box (STB), also colloquially known as a cable box and historically television decoder, is an information appliance device that generally contains a TV-tuner input and displays output to a television set and an external source of sign ...
as part of fibre link packages or DSL link packages. However, some DSL subscribers have too much
attenuation distortion Attenuation distortion is the distortion of an analog signal that occurs during transmission when the transmission medium does not have a flat frequency response across the bandwidth of the medium or the frequency spectrum of the signal.Rowe, St ...
on their lines to benefit from the service, and France does not yet have 100%
DSL Digital subscriber line (DSL; originally digital subscriber loop) is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric dig ...
coverage. The main IPTV providers are
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
,
SFR SFR (; ''Société française du radiotéléphone'', ) is a French telecommunications company. As of December 2015, it had 21.9 million customers in Metropolitan France for mobile services, and provided 6.35 million households with high-spee ...
, Free and
Bouygues Telecom Bouygues Telecom () is a French mobile phone, Internet service provider and IPTV company, part of the Bouygues group. It is the third oldest mobile network operator in France, after Orange and SFR, and before Free Mobile. Its headquarters, de ...
. French cable providers France Telecom Cable, Noos SA and UPC France SA and
Numericable Numericable was a major French cable operator and telecommunications services company. Numericable was originally created in 2007 from the merger between former competitors Noos and NC Numericable networks. Numericable Group SA was founded in Aug ...
merged to become the largest cable operator in France which was then merged info SFR. SFR cable offer is part of their very high speed offer and provides
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
and
IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded med ...
using FTLA approach EuroDocsis 3.0 compatible set top boxes. Digital satellite television in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
was launched in 1996.
HDTV High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the g ...
transmissions began in April 2006, when
CanalSat Canal+ is a French subscription provider associated to the channel of the same name. It is owned by Vivendi (owner of Canal+) with a hundred percent share. History In 1992, Canalsatellite was launched, the shareholders were Canal+ Group (66 p ...
launched its first HD channel (Canal+ HD).
Télévision Par Satellite Télévision Par Satellite (; TPS) was a French company that offered subscription television packages via satellite. It was created in 1996 by Eutelsat and Arte, soon joined by the TF1 Group, the M6 Group, France Télévisions, RTL Group, France ...
and CanalSat have merged in 2007, leaving Nouveau Canalsat and Bis Télévisions as the two main competitors for the
satellite television Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna comm ...
market in the country.


Media groups


Dominant groups

Four companies dominate the French TV market : * Groupe TF1 (owned by Bouygues), which owns TF1, TMC, TFX,
TF1 Séries Films TF1 Séries Films, formerly HD1 (acronym for ''Histoire de'') is a French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group. HD1 launched on TNT, satellite, and xDSL on 12 December 2012. History Proposed new TNT channels With the shutdown of analogue televisi ...
and LCI *
France Télévisions France Télévisions (; stylized since 2018 as ) is the French national public television broadcaster. It is a state-owned company formed from the integration of the public television channels France 2 (formerly Antenne 2) and France 3 (form ...
, which regroups state-owned channels meaning
France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 A ...
,
France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info. It is made up of a network of regional television services provi ...
,
France 4 France 4 () is a French free-to-air television channel owned by France Télévisions, focused on children's programming. The colour of France 4 is purple. Originally launched as Festival in 1996, the channel took its current name in 2005 when it ...
,
France 5 France 5 () is a French free-to-air public television channel, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is ''la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir'' (the knowledge network). ...
, franceinfo: and 45% of
Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...
's shares *
Groupe M6 Metropole Télévision SA, commonly known as Groupe M6 ( en, M6 Group), is a French media holding company. It was formed around the Public television channel M6, launched in March 1987 by the CLT ( RTL Télévision) and La Lyonnaise des Eaux. ...
(owned by
RTL Group RTL Group (for "Radio Television Luxembourg") is a Luxembourg-based international media conglomerate, with another corporate centre in Cologne, Germany. The company operates 68 television channels and 31 radio stations in Germany, France an ...
), which owns M6, W9, 6ter and
Gulli Gulli (; stylised as gulli) is a French free-to-air television channel focused on kids programming for those aged 3 to 14. It was created as a result of a partnership between Lagardère Active and state-owned broadcaster France Télévisions. ...
*
Groupe Canal+ Groupe Canal+ is a French mass media company. It is owned and controlled by Vivendi and has a film library in excess of 5,000 films. Vivendi has sold some parts of Canal+ to private investors which are still using the name of Canal+. It is headqu ...
(owned by
Vivendi Vivendi SE is a French mass media holding company headquartered in Paris. Widely known as the owner of Gameloft, Groupe Canal+, Havas, Editis, Prisma Media, Vivendi Village and Dailymotion, the company has activities in television, film, video ...
), which owns
Canal+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
, C8, CNews and
CStar CStar () is a private national French TV channel, owned by Canal+ Group. History D17 was launched on 7 October 2012, replacing Direct Star, after Canal+ bought it to Bolloré Group. D17 was rebranded CStar on 5 September 2016. Since 27 F ...


Other important groups

*
NextRadioTV NextRadioTV is a French company consisting of BFM TV and RMC.Marie-Catherine BeuthNextRadioTV toujours plus rentable ''Le Figaro'', 26 July 2012 NextRadioTV is on the CAC Small. History In 2000, the NextRadioTV company was founded by Alain We ...
(owned by Altice): BFM TV,
RMC Story RMC Story, formerly known as Numéro 23 and initially as TVous La télédiversité, is a French independent TV television channel founded by Diversité TV France. It launched its broadcasts on 12 December 2012 and is the 23rd national television ...
,
RMC Découverte RMC Découverte is a French television channel broadcast on channel 24 and owned by NextRadioTV. Created in 2012, it mainly broadcasts documentaries such as ''Wheeler Dealers'', '' Ancient Aliens'', Swamp Loggers. RMC Découverte broadcasts th ...
, and many BFM regional declensions *
NRJ Group The NRJ Group (NRJ is an acronym read as ''énergie'' in French, pronounced ) () is a French multimedia group based in Paris. Its founders are Jean-Paul Baudecroux and Max Guazzini. Since its foundation in 1981 as a French pop music radio ...
:
NRJ 12 NRJ 12 is a French private public-state general-interest television channel belonging to the NRJ Group, created on 31 March 2005 on DTT. The channel is available on DTT, cable, satellite and ADSL. History of the channel Originally called NRJ T ...
,
Chérie 25 Chérie 25 () is a French TV channel, controlled by the NRJ Group. Chérie 25 is launched on TNT, satellite, and xDSL on 12 December 2012. The channel is named after the radio station Chérie FM, owned by the same group. History In 2011, Jean ...


Minor group

* Groupe Amaury (
L'Équipe ''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby, motorsport, and cycling. Its predecessor w ...
)


Viewing shares

Yearly viewing shares in 2019 (not including subscription channels): LCP-Public Sénat and
France Ô France Ô () was a French free-to-air television channel featuring programming from the French overseas departments and collectivities in Metropolitan France. It was part of the France Télévisions group. Its overseas counterpart is Outre-Mer ...
are uncounted because they are not destined to be profitable.


French programming


Universal Channel

* '' 30 Rock'' * '' About a Boy'' * '' Batwoman'' * '' Burn Notice'' * '' Cardinal'' * '' Chicago Fire'' * ''
Chicago Justice ''Chicago Justice'' is an American legal drama television series that aired on NBC from March 1 to May 14, 2017. The series was created by Dick Wolf and is the fourth installment of Wolf's ''Chicago'' franchise. A backdoor pilot aired on May 11, ...
'' * ''
Chicago Med ''Chicago Med'' is an American medical drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, and is the third installment of Wolf Entertainment's ''Chicago'' franchise. The series premiered on NBC on November 17, 2015. ''Chicago Me ...
'' * ''
Chicago P.D. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind th ...
'' * ''
Chuck Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * C ...
'' * ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' * '' Dexter'' * ''
Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
'' * ''
Fairly Legal ''Fairly Legal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series which aired on USA Network from January 20, 2011, to June 15, 2012. The series starred Sarah Shahi, Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams, Baron Vaughn, and Ryan Johnson. USA Netw ...
'' * ''
Flipping Out ''Flipping Out'' is an American reality television series that debuted on Bravo on July 31, 2007, and ended on November 20, 2018. The show is centered on designer Jeff Lewis in Los Angeles, California, his executive assistant Jenni Pulos, his ...
'' * '' Flashpoint'' * ''
Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...
'' * '' Haven'' * '' House'' * ''
In Plain Sight ''In Plain Sight'' is an American drama television series that premiered on the USA Network on June 1, 2008. The series revolves around Mary Shannon ( Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, offic ...
'' * '' Law & Order'' * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' * ''
Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'' * '' Law & Order: Los Angeles'' * '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' * '' Law & Order: UK'' * ''
Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...
'' * ''
Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
'' * '' Murder in the First'' * ''
Nurse Jackie ''Nurse Jackie'' is an American medical comedy-drama television series. It premiered on Showtime on June 8, 2009, and its seventh and final season premiered on April 12, 2015. The series finale aired on June 28, 2015. The show stars Edie Fal ...
'' * '' Outsourced'' * '' Parenthood'' * '' Psych'' * ''
Rookie Blue ''Rookie Blue'' is a Canadian police drama television series starring Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith. It was created by Morwyn Brebner, Tassie Cameron, and Ellen Vanstone. The series premiered on June 24, 2010, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8 ...
'' * ''
Royal Pains ''Royal Pains'' (stylized ℞oyalPains) is an American comedy-drama television series that ran on the USA Network from 2009 to 2016. The series was based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies. The ca ...
'' * ''
Sea Patrol ''Sea Patrol'' is an Australian television drama that ran from 2007 to 2011, set on board HMAS ''Hammersley'', a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The series focused on the ship and the lives of its crew members. Despi ...
'' * '' Sherlock'' * '' Smash'' * '' Shattered'' * '' Stalker'' * '' State of Affairs'' * '' The Big C'' * '' The Closer : L.A enquêtes prioritaires'' * ''
The Event ''The Event'' (stylized as THE EVƎNT) is an American television series containing elements of science fiction, action/adventure and political allegory. It was created by Nick Wauters and aired on NBC from September 20, 2010 to May 23, 2011. ...
'' * ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series o ...
'' * ''
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' (abbreviated ''RHOBH'') is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has ...
'' * ''
The Real Housewives of Orange County ''The Real Housewives of Orange County'' (abbreviated ''RHOC'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 21, 2006. It has aired sixteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several wom ...
'' * ''
The Real Housewives of New York City ''The Real Housewives of New York City'' (abbreviated ''RHONY'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 4, 2008. Developed as the second installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired thirteen ...
'' * ''
The Real Housewives of Potomac ''The Real Housewives of Potomac'' (abbreviated ''RHOP'') is an American reality television series that premiered on January 17, 2016, on Bravo. It has aired six seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women livin ...
'' * ''
The Real Housewives of Toronto ''The Real Housewives of Toronto'' (abbreviated ''RHOT'') was a Canadian reality television series that premiered on March 7, 2017 on Slice. Developed as the second Canadian installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise. The series aired for ...
'' * '' The Pretender'' * ''
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt pol ...
'' * ''
The Unusuals ''The Unusuals'' is an American crime television series created by Noah Hawley for ABC. It follows the detectives in the New York City Police Department's fictional 2nd Precinct, many of whom have their secret eccentricities. The series ran for ...
'' * '' Top Chef: All-Stars'' * ''
Top Chef Junior ''Top Chef Junior'' is an American reality competition television series that serves as a spin-off of the popular ''Top Chef'' series. Ordered in 2008 for an eight-episode run on Bravo, the show had never aired, nor is it known if any episodes w ...
'' * ''
Top Chef Masters ''Top Chef Masters'' is an American reality competition series that aired on the cable television network Bravo, and premiered June 10, 2009. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show ''Top Chef ''Top Chef'' is an American reality competition te ...
'' * ''
True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The ser ...
'' * ''
Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series pr ...
'' * ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...
'' * '' Warehouse 13''


France 2

* ''
Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...
'' * ''
Broadchurch ''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV for List of Broadchurch episodes, three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote a ...
'' * '' Castle'' * ''
The Closer ''The Closer'' is an American television police procedural starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Brenda has a reputation as a c ...
'' * ''
Grounded for Life ''Grounded for Life'' is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001, as a mid-season replacement on Fox. Created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin, it ran for two seasons on the network until being canceled only two episodes into ...
'' * '' Major Crimes'' * ''
Minuit, le soir ''Minuit, le soir'' (french: Midnight, in the evening) is a character-driven Quebec television show. Set and shot in Montreal, the 30-minute show revolves around the lives of three bouncers, both in private and at work. The show is notable for its ...
'' * ''
The O.C. ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'' * ''
Private Practice Private practice may refer to: *Private sector practice **Practice of law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiati ...
'' * '' Rizzoli & Isles'' * '' Water Rats'' * ''
Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
''


13ème Rue

* ''
100 Code ''100 Code'' (also known as ''The Hundred Code'') is an internationally co-produced Swedish crime drama series, created by Ken Bruen and developed by Bobby Moresco, that first aired on German premium channel Sky Krimi on May 14, 2015. The serie ...
'' * ''Against the Wall'' * ''Aquarius'' * ''Bates Motel'' * '' Battlestar Galactica'' * '' Burn Notice'' * '' Candice Renoir'' * ''Cape Town'' * ''Castle'' * '' Catching Milat'' * ''Chance'' * ''Cherif'' * ''Chicago Fire'' * ''
Chicago Justice ''Chicago Justice'' is an American legal drama television series that aired on NBC from March 1 to May 14, 2017. The series was created by Dick Wolf and is the fourth installment of Wolf's ''Chicago'' franchise. A backdoor pilot aired on May 11, ...
'' * ''CHiPS'' * ''Chosen'' * ''Condor'' * ''Coyote'' * ''Cracked'' * ''Departure'' * ''Dig'' * ''
The Disappearance Disappearance may refer to: * Forced disappearance, when an organization forces a person to vanish from public view Books * ''Disappearance'' (Trifonov novel), published posthumously 1987 *''Disappearance'', novel by Guyanese writer David Daby ...
'' * ''
EZ Streets ''EZ Streets'' is an American crime drama television series created by Paul Haggis. It premiered on CBS on October 27, 1996, with a two-hour pilot television film and ended on April 2, 1997. The series stars Ken Olin, Joe Pantoliano, and Jason Ge ...
'' * '' F/X: The Series'' * ''
Fairly Legal ''Fairly Legal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series which aired on USA Network from January 20, 2011, to June 15, 2012. The series starred Sarah Shahi, Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams, Baron Vaughn, and Ryan Johnson. USA Netw ...
'' * ''Ghost Stories'' * ''Hannibal'' * ''
High Incident ''High Incident'' was a police drama television series produced by DreamWorks Television for the ABC network. The show was created by Steven Spielberg, Michael Pavone, Eric Bogosian, and Dave Alan Johnson. It aired from March 4, 1996, to May ...
'' * ''
In Plain Sight ''In Plain Sight'' is an American drama television series that premiered on the USA Network on June 1, 2008. The series revolves around Mary Shannon ( Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, offic ...
'' * '' Joan of Arcadia'' * ''
Karen Sisco ''Karen Sisco'' is an American crime drama television series starring Carla Gugino in the title role. The series was created by novelist Elmore Leonard, based on a character who had appeared in several of his written works, as well as one film ad ...
'' * '' Kindred: The Embraced'' * ''Knight Rider'' * ''Kojak'' * ''L.A. Heat'' * '' Law & Order'' * ''
Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'' * ''Law & Order: Los Angeles'' * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' * '' Law & Order: Organized Crime'' * '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' * ''
Law & Order True Crime ''Law & Order True Crime'' is an American true crime anthology series that premiered on September 26, 2017 on NBC. The series was ordered by NBC on July 15, 2016, and is part of the ''Law & Order'' franchise. Created by René Balcer, the eight- ...
'' * ''Life'' * ''Lucifer'' * ''Magnum'' * ''Major Crimes'' * ''Mammon'' * '' Mannix'' * ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, two M ...
'' * '' Midnight Caller'' * '' Midsomer Murders'' * ''Missing (2012)'' * ''Modus'' * ''Motive'' * ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' * ''My Life is Murder'' * ''Mysterious Ways'' * ''Navarro'' * ''
New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American police drama that aired on the Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torre ...
'' * ''Night Visions'' * ''
Perversions of Science ''Perversions of Science'' is an American science fiction/ horror anthology television series that ran from June 7 to July 23, 1997, on the premium cable channel HBO, lasting one season. It is a spin-off of the horror series ''Tales from the C ...
'' * ''Played'' * ''Players'' * '' Psych'' * ''
Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...
'' * ''
ReGenesis ''ReGenesis'' is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists of No ...
'' * ''
Rookie Blue ''Rookie Blue'' is a Canadian police drama television series starring Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith. It was created by Morwyn Brebner, Tassie Cameron, and Ellen Vanstone. The series premiered on June 24, 2010, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8 ...
'' * ''
She Spies ''She Spies'' is an action-adventure television show that ran from July 20, 2002 until May 17, 2004 in two seasons. The show was sold into syndication but the first four episodes were premiered on the NBC network, whose syndication arm was one of t ...
'' * ''Shoot the Messenger'' * ''Shooter'' * ''
Sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...
'' * ''State of Affairs'' * ''Tales from the Crypt'' * ''
Tequila and Bonetti ''Tequila and Bonetti'' is an American crime comedy-drama television series starring Jack Scalia. The series originally aired on CBS, as a mid-season replacement, from January 17, 1992 to April 17, 1992, with only 10 of the 12 episodes aired. It w ...
'' * ''
The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...
'' * ''
The Burning Zone ''The Burning Zone'' is an American Science fiction on television, science fiction Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Coleman Luck that originally aired for one season on United Paramount Network (UPN) from ...
'' * ''The Bridge'' * ''
The Chicago Code ''The Chicago Code'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan that aired on Fox in the United States. The series was filmed in Chicago, Illinois, originally airing from February 7 to May 23, 2011, with Fox announcing ...
'' * ''The Fall'' * ''The Family'' * ''The Hunger'' * ''The Listener'' * ''The Outer Limits'' * ''
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt pol ...
'' * ''The Twilight Zone'' * ''
Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...
'' * ''
True Justice ''True Justice'' is an American television action series created by Steven Seagal that ran for two seasons in 2011 and 2012. Seagal stars as Elijah Kane, the head of the "Special Investigation Unit", an undercover police task force, in Seattle, W ...
'' * ''
Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series pr ...
'' * ''Wicked City'' * ''Zen''


See also

*
List of television stations in France This is a list of TV services available on digital terrestrial, satellite, internet streaming and cable systems in France. National channels (Metropolitan France) List available from March 2021: National Channels (Overseas France) ...
*
List of French language television channels The List of French-language television channels includes the following channels: Belgium Canada France Switzerland Algeria * Programme National * Canal Algérie * Berbère Télévision * Berbère Music * Berbére Jeunesse * ...
*
List of French television series This is a list of television programs that have been produced by France. It includes series made by France alone as well as those produced in collaboration with various other countries. Almost all are in the French language; exceptions to this rule ...
* List of years in French television


References

1931 establishments in France {{#related:Television in Belgium