Amazon eyes deal for troubled French streamer Salto

Amazon is reportedly interested in acquiring troubled French streaming platform Salto, according to reports.

Following an expression of interest by Canal+ in Salto, Amazon has let it be known to broadcaster TF1 and M6 that it is also interested in a potential acquisition, according to specialist news site La Lettre A.

Amazon already distributes Salto on its Prime Video service in France. The streaming service, which has invested in sports rights in the country, including the Roland Garros French Open tennis championship, would benefit from the addition of the 800,000 or so subscribers netted to date by Salto.

La Lettre A also reported that French streaming platform Molotov, now owned by US streamer FuboTV, could be a potential buyer for Salto. However, when contacted by news channel BFMTV’s Tech&Co programme, Molotov denied having any interest in an acquisition.

La Lettre A and Le Figaro had earlier reported that Canal+ was the most likely candidate to acquire Salto. The pay TV operator is already reportedly in talks to acquire Orange’s pay TV offering OCS.

Salto’s fate currently hangs in the balance following the decision by shareholders TF1 and M6 to pull out after the abandonment of their proposed merger deal in the face of regulatory opposition.

The streaming service’s third shareholder, France Télévisions, had already indicated it wanted to pull out earlier this year.

Other potential acquirers for Salto could include producer and channel operator Mediawan. Interestingly, Mediawan shareholder Xavier Niel’s NJJ Médias is today being interviewed by media regulator ARCOM about the renewal of digital-terrestrial frequencies operated by TF1 and M6.

NJJ Médias lodged a submission to ARCOM’s consultation on the renewal in which it said that following the failure of Salto, “there however exists an important space for a real project mixing AVOD and SVOD” leaning on groups with access to the DTT platform and possessing “a capacity for colossal promotion and [access to] the power of distribution of the ISPs”.