“YouTube is today a key player in the French audiovisual landscape”, according to Justine Ryst, the general director of YouTube France. The platform, which arrived in France almost 19 years ago, is now one of the main competitors of television channels, as a Médiamétrie study has just revealed. “YouTube is not a television channel, nor is it a social network. It is a video platform whose job is to provide a content hosting infrastructure to accommodate all creative stakeholders” , recalls Justine Ryst, Thursday November 7.
The YouTube platform, which has become essential, works and therefore complements all the television channels in France which, themselves, are all on YouTube. “When we look at the figures provided by Médiamétrie, she specifies, in audience, it is the first video platform which brings together 15-49 year olds every day in front of all French linear TV channels. The current debate shows “how valuable it is going to be to have a single measurement” of the audience “with all platforms and screens”continues Justine Ryst. Work currently carried out by Médiamétrie that the general director of YouTube France welcomes and encourages. The platform is favorable to this.
“When Médiamétrie says that we have 42.6 million users each month in France, continues Justine Ryst, This is a measure called three screens, on the tablet, on the mobile and on the computer, but which does not count, for example, the television.
To continue to stand out, and ultimately perhaps reduce the boundaries between the different audiovisual players, YouTube has struck a major blow with the documentary Kaizen from one of the stars of the platform, Inoxtag, a month ago. Some 37,000,000 views for a documentary lasting 2 hours 26 minutes, subsequently broadcast on TF1. A turning point for this digital giant which is delighted to “see works of this type which are capable of traveling through all distribution channels”. “What is special about him, adds Justine Ryst, it illustrates all the singularity of YouTube through the freedom of tone.”
“When you create on YouTube, there is no logic of formatting, boxes, schedule, duration and therefore we have total creative freedom, which does not exist in television.”
Justine Ryst, general manager of YouTube Franceat franceinfo
A freedom that iconic figures of journalism like Claire Chazal or Élise Lucet appropriate by asking to be sponsored by Squeezie or Gaspard G, which creates a sort of “reverse mentoring”, smiles Justine Ryst. They seek an additional audience which can sometimes be younger, sometimes more international or editorial freedom to work on subjects which are not in their editorial line, in their format on the shelf. “We are complementary to the TV channels, believes Justine Ryst. All of this is part of a very virtuous, very complementary relationship and really a very win-win balance, including for the television channels themselves. she concludes.
