France

• France’s Prime Minister wants support for his budget cuts, so he explained them on YouTube
• Netflix Testing Pre-Programmed, Linear TV-Style Channel Called ‘Direct’ In France

  Netflix is testing a new content consumption experience, pioneering a linear television-like channel in France. The web-based channel -- called Direct -- is not accessible via any Netflix apps but is only be available to subscribers. The service airs pre-programmed French and international feature films and TV series that are available on-demand elsewhere across the service.

  
• Netflix To Launch Third European HQ In Paris, Unveils 7 French Series And Films

  Netflix has opened doors on a brand new Paris headquarters -- a somewhat conciliatory move given the streamer’s past skirmishes with France’s Cannes Film Festival as well as the nation’s strict theatrical windowing rules and other entertainment industry regulations.

  
• BuzzFeed Cuts 20 Roles From Business Team Amid Strategic Shift, But Plans 45 Hires

  Additionally, BuzzFeed's future in France -- where it counts 14 employees -- remains up in the air, and it has notified the team there about potential cuts.

  
• Strengthened By Netflix, France’s SVOD Market Nearly Doubled In 2017 (Report)
• Influencer Marketing Startup Octoly Raises $10 Million, Launches Ecommerce Platform
• New French Law Orders Video Services Like YouTube, Netflix To Pay 2% Tax On Local Revenues
• Insights: As Tech Turns, Creators Try New Ways To Tell A Tale
• Insights: The Fading Empire Strikes Back—Cannes, Netflix And The Future Of Something That Looks Like Film
• Netflix And Amazon Screenings Are Being Booed At The Cannes Film Festival
• After Getting Two Films Into Cannes, Netflix Battles Movie Theaters Again, This Time In France
• Digital Network Studio71 To Expand To France, Italy Through €53 Million Funding Round