Altice’s BFMTV launches vertical mobile viewing solution

French news channel BFMTV has launched what it claims is the world’s first “Live Vertical” solution which automatically converts the horizontal frames of standard TV streams to a vertical format better suited to smartphones.

BFMTV, which is owned by French telecoms company Altice, collaborated with French start-up Wildmoka to develop the technology, which allows the traditional horizontal format of television to be automatically ‘rezoned’ into a mobile-friendly vertical format.

Viewers watching BFMTV on a smartphone will see the entire mobile screen occupied with content, regardless of device, brand or model, overcoming one of the typical challenges of mobile broadcasts, which place a horizontal picture into a vertical screen.

To achieve the rezoning, Altice developed a new way of managing live production workflows and the addition of a dedicated stream.

Arthur Dreyfuss, CEO of Altice Média, said: “It is a source of real pride to be the first TV channel in the world to offer an innovation that makes television the best way to get real-time news on a smartphone. Altice France is adding a new dimension to the medium of television, with a unique user experience that will further enhance the leading position of BFMTV and the group’s channels.

“This innovation is the result of our historical and eternal desire to explore new formats, to continue our investments, and to combine technical progress with editorial quality to present ever more accurate information.”

Altice said the partnership with Wilmoka represents a shared ambition to innovate and improve the experience of viewing on mobile, as well as the ‘real estate’ value of the space on mobile screens. It said it will now look at applying Wildmoka’s solution to other group outlets such as BFM Business.

Wildmoka specialises in real-time enrichment of digital media content.

Thomas Menguy, president and CTO of Wildmoka added: “Wildmoka is proud to have gained the confidence of several Altice Group channels over the past three years and to once again be able to launch, within Altice France, a global innovation based on artificial intelligence and the latest cloud technologies. After assisting in the creation of sports content for RMC Sport, it is BFMTV’s turn to use Wildmoka’s unique expertise around AI and ML to verticalize its content for News in real time, in order to better respond to an increasingly connected and mobile audience.”

The challenge of creating content that suits mobile consumption is one a number of companies have tried to tackle. Streaming service Quibi, for example, launched its “Turnstyle” format earlier this year.

However, this technology has prompted several lawsuits for the nascent streamer.

• Read more: Quibi wins first court battle over Turnstyle technology
• Read more: Quibi debuts Turnstyle mobile viewing technology