Every operator needs a USP to make itself prominent. In the UK, BT has sport. In the US, Verizon has dated media brands. Over in France, Orange seems to be making a play for the silver screen.

Orange has recently announced a new initiative which will see the telco control exclusive pay TV rights for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. OCS will be the only TV channel to broadcast the film in France from the end of May 2018, while fans will be able to purchase the film through the Orange VOD service from 26 November 2017.

“Given the passion that people have for film, we see it as our role to make films even more accessible to fans,” said Béatrice Mandine, EVP in charge of Brand and Communications at Orange.

“We will bring this to life through a global campaign, enabling us to turn the spotlight on emotions provided by film to the ones sitting in the shadows, namely the viewers. That is a huge part of the magic that makes the success of film. ”

“Orange understands the film industry and people’s passion for film through and through. For this reason, they make an excellent partner in helping to deliver what is personally a special film to me, and one that I hope people will love.”

Although there is certainly a commercial angle to the partnership, the telco will also offer subscribers content through various channels, including a behind-the-scenes film clip of the making of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, an extended trailer of the film, as well as a number of competitions in the build-up.

It would appear to be a sensible strategy in terms of long-term investment, as there is potential to own the content, not simply lease rights to it (as is the case for sports rights). The Orange Studio has been now running for 10 years, investing in new content partnerships, while also creating its own. We’ll keep an eye out for our invite to the premiere then.