Orange may step back from exclusive content, says Couture

France Télécom/Orange’s head of content Xavier Couture has said that he doesn’t believe that holding strictly exclusive content rights in the long term is necessarily the right strategy for the group, according to press reports. Couture was speaking at a media seminar organised by NPA Conseil and Le Figaro.

Orange has been involved in a dispute with rivals – notably Canal Plus – over its acquisition of exclusive content rights and making its channels available as part of a bundle with internet and telephony access, which has also led to it being subject to criticism by the country’s competition regulator.

Earlier this week, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard told shareholders that he saw Orange more as an aggregator than a producer of content. Orange plans to present its strategic vision for the next few years on July 1.