MipTV: TF1’s President Gilles Pelisson Honored With Variety’s Annual Achievement in International TV Award

CANNES — Gilles Pelisson, the president of TF1, France’s leading commercial network group, was honored Tuesday at MipTV where he received the annual Achievement in International TV Award from hands of Variety‘s international editor, Henry Chu.

The tribute, hosted in the packed grand auditorium of the Palais des festivals, was followed by a Q&A session in which Pelisson discussed the strategy he has implemented at TF1 since coming on board a year ago, succeeding to his long-time predecessor Nonce Paolini.

Pelisson talked about the company’s digital push, which can be observed through its investment in content production skewing toward millennials and distributed on social media, including video-sharing platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, as well as its own website. Under his leadership, Pelisson has also placed an emphasis on boasting the offer on its two services, replay TV and VOD platform, MyTF1. The company has also launched an e-cinema service dedicated to ultra VOD releases last year, and launched TF1 Studio, a banner regrouping all of the company’s film and premium TV biz.

During the panel, Pelisson also discussed the way he has worked to strengthen the group’s multi-channel strategy by enriching the content and branding of each channel and streamlining operations. The exec also pointed to the acquisition of production outfit Newen, the maker of “Versailles,” and its recent successes with French-language drama “Une chance de trop,” which marked the first TV series adapted from a Harlan Coben bestselling novel.

Past honorees of Variety’s Achievement in International TV Award include Jeremy Darroch, Group CEO of Sky; Anke Schaeferkordt and Guillaume de Posch, co-CEOs of RTL Group; and Adam Crozier, CEO of ITV.

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