France Télévisions has reported record-breaking digital and broadcast engagement figures for its coverage of the 2025 Roland-Garros tournament, thanks to a new three-pillar strategy powered by Wildmoka, a Backlight solution. This digital transformation enabled France’s leading public broadcaster to reach more viewers than ever – especially among younger audiences – while maintaining editorial quality and operational efficiency.
“This year’s Roland-Garros was historic both on and off the court,” said Nicolas Vinoy, Deputy Head of Sports in charge of Digital Services at France Télévisions. “While tennis fans witnessed one of the greatest finals of all time, we were rewriting the playbook for how to cover a Grand Slam event in the streaming era.”
Addressing Critical Industry Challenges
France Télévisions aimed to:
- Engage the 12–25 demographic accustomed to YouTube and social platforms
- Meet expectations for seamless multi-platform access
- Counter monetisation struggles in traditional TV models
- Compete with interactive digital-native platforms like Twitch and YouTube
A 3-Pillar Digital Strategy Powered by Wildmoka
To meet these goals, France Télévisions deployed Wildmoka’s cloud-based solutions across three fronts:
Multi-Court Livestreaming
Using Wildmoka Live Studio, all 16 courts were streamed simultaneously à la carte, letting fans watch any match, any time, on any device – with personalised commentary and graphics.
Real-Time Clipping and Social Publishing
Wildmoka Clip Studio enabled instant creation of highlights, recaps, and best-point compilations, published across france.tv and social channels in real time.
A 24/7 Interactive Digital Channel
The new france.tv Roland-Garros digital channel, built with Wildmoka Channel Studio, featured exclusive second-screen content, behind-the-scenes footage, influencer commentary, and live chat — resembling the interactivity of Twitch.
“This was a game-changer,” said Skander Ben Attia, Head of Engineering, Support Process and Media Factory at France Télévisions. “We operated a full digital channel starting with three staff members per shift, down to one single staff member in the last week — compared to 30 for traditional broadcasts. This efficiency allowed us to extend coverage far beyond what was economically viable before”.
Results: Unprecedented Reach and Efficiency
- 46 million total viewers across TV and digital (an all-time high)
- 82 million video views on digital platforms (+70 percent vs. 2024)
- 415 million social video views (+130 percent vs. 2024)
- 5+ million youth viewers (15–24) (+8 percent vs. 2024)
- 269,000 peak concurrent viewers on the digital channel during the final match point
- 7 million digital channel viewers, with 2 million using live chat
Looking Ahead
Following this success, France Télévisions plans to launch a new digital channel for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with enhanced “Fan Zone” features, paving the way for a permanent 24/7 sports streaming presence leading up to the French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics on their streaming platform france.tv.
“Wildmoka helped us reconnect with digital natives without cannibalising our traditional audience,” Vinoy added. “It’s the best of both worlds.”
Visit https://www.backlight.co and https://www.wildmoka.com
