 Logo used since 2022 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
Type of site | Video on demand,OTT streaming platform |
| Available in | French |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owner | France Télévisions |
| Managing director | Encarna Marquez(Director of Digital at France Télévisions) |
| Key people | Delphine Ernotte |
| URL | Official website |
| Launched | 5 July 2010; 15 years ago (5 July 2010)(Pluzz launched; renamed Francetv pluzz in April 2012)[1] May 2012; 13 years ago (May 2012)(Francetv pluzzVAD launched)[1] 9 May 2017; 8 years ago (9 May 2017)(the two Francetv pluzz platforms were merged into one under france.tv) |
france.tv (previouslypluzz and laterFrancetv pluzz thenFrancetv pluzzVAD) serves as both a Frenchover-the-top,streaming service operated by public broadcasterFrance Télévisions incorporating the video-on-demand service of that public broadcaster and the identifier for all French domestic public television channels.
The france.tv service also allows users to watch, in particular, all the channels of the France Télévisions group live:France 2,France 3,France 4,France 5,France Info andLa Première.[2] The service also allowed user to stream the channelFrance Ô in the past, but not any more due to the channel no longer being in operation.[3]
The service in place today was originally two separate services that launched independently before the two were merged into one. The first service was launched on 5 July 2010, under the titlepluzz, this streaming platform allowed users to watch or rewatch programs from the various channels of the public television group up to one week after their broadcast date.[4] Separately launched in April 2012, under the nameFrancetv pluzzVAD, was the second service that delivered all of France Télévision's programs via video streaming and download.[1] On 9 May 2017, the two video-on-demand services and the 300 websites of the group's channels were merged and replaced by the single platform france.tv.[5][6]
On 5 July 2010,France Télévisions launched its catch-up TV service called Pluzz. It allows you to watch or rewatch the programs of the group's channels up to one week after their broadcast on a single site. Catch-up TV is available 15 minutes after the program airs. It is also possible to watch live channels. As of 2010, Pluzz was generating approximately 10 million video views per month, according to the latest figures. Since this service is free, advertisements are shown before the videos to finance it.[7][8] The brand name "Pluzz" is a contraction of the words "Plus", "Play" and "Buzz".
In April 2012, the agencies Quatre and Playgrnd redesigned the site, which on this occasion became Francetv pluzz, adding to the original name Pluzz the particle Francetv, which unifies the digital services of France Télévisions. On this occasion, the platform is improving its accessibility by offering more subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and audio description for the blind and visually impaired. It also adds more interactivity with the integration of social networksFacebook andTwitter (nowX).[9]
In May 2012, France Télévisions launched Francetv pluzzVAD, its new video-on-demand service. All of the group's channels' programs can now be rented via streaming or purchased for download. The catalog also includes French and foreign films.[10]
On 9 May 2017, France Télévisions launched the universal platform france.tv, bringing together the websites of its channels as well as its platforms Francetv pluzz and Francetv pluzzVAD in order to simplify the user experience.[11] France Télévisions did this in an effort to compete with two leading rival video on demand services in France, owned by private companies, MyTF1 (nowTF1+) and 6play (nowM6+).[12] In fact, Ghislain Faribeault, director of the video department at France Télévisions, confirmed in an interview that 300 websites, 40,000 videos, and 5 million internet addresses (URLs) have been closed or migrated to france.tv.[13] Nearly 500 new programs are available every day on the website, while the VOD catalogue adds more than 150 new film and audiovisual releases each month in French or original version with subtitles.[14] By undertaking this profound transformation, the group is finally carrying out its digital adaptation as recommended byFrance's Court of Auditors in October 2016.[15] The stated objective is clear: the group hopes to double the site's digital traffic, by increasing from 500 million video views each month currently to one billion in 2020; for comparison, theYouTube video platform accumulates nearly one billion views per day.[16][17]
Following these content removals, the audience for France Télévisions' websites on PC fell from 11.4 million unique visitors in June 2017 to 9.4 million in July,[18] then 7.4 million in August of the same year.
Further developments came in the fall of 2017 with the arrival of SVOD (unlimited video on subscription) directly inspired by theNetflix service. The focus is on French and European production, with, for example, exclusive web creations and previews.[19]
In October 2019, france.tv partnered withRadio-Canada to become the exclusive broadcaster inFrance ofQuebec fiction and documentary series, includingTrop.,Les Bogues de la vie,District 31 andRuptures.[20] The first programs linked to this agreement have been broadcast on the platform since 6 November 2019,[20] with more programs being added on 16 December 2019.[21]
On 12 September 2022, the programComplément d'enquête broke a record, registering more than 372,000 views of the replay on the platform in 24 hours.[22]
On 14 September 2024,Arte France joined the platform.[23][24][25]
On 25 March 2025,France Télévisions announced its intention to also bring together content fromINA,LCP -Assemblée nationale,Public Sénat,TV5 Monde andFrance 24 on its platform with an avowed desire to draw inspiration from theBBC brand image, which notably owns theBBC iPlayer service.[26]
On 29 April 2025,INA joined the platform.[27]
On 5 June 2025, theLCP –Assemblée nationale andPublic Sénat channels joined the platform.[28]
On 2 July 2025,France 24 (French version) joined the platform.[29]
On 8 July 2025,TV5 Monde France joined the platform.[30]
On 30 September 2025, Mieux joined the platform.[31]
In addition to content on the france.tv portal, the platform offers digital livestreams of the following channels:[2]
At the same time, it offers linear digital channels:
The service is accessible on theweb, and oniOS,iPadOS,tvOS andAndroidmobile applications of France Télévisions and its operators, internet boxes from operators, connected televisions,Apple TV,Android TV,Google TV devices,Chromecast orAmazon Fire TV as well asOTT platforms:Molotov andCanal+, formerly MyCanal.[36]
Since July 3, 2025, and almost exactly 15 years after the launch of Pluzz, france.tv has been available via a subscription video-on-demand platform:Amazon Prime Video fromAmazon.[37][38]
