Stephane Richard, CEO of Orange,confirmed he holding discussions with Microsoft with a view to forming a partnership for the French online video platform Dailymotion. However, Richard maintained that Orange would want to retain a majority stake.
Speaking with BFM Business at Mobile World Congress, Richard said, “We are still talking with a major American partner in particular.” After being asked if it was Microsoft, Richard confirmed it was and said, “It doesn’t mean that we will reach an agreement but I’m confident that we will.”
Ambitions to Crack the US Market
Dailymotion has struggled to gain significant momentum outside of the French market and a partnership deal could see it gain access to US audiences, while Microsoft would have access to Dailymotion’s content with a credible online video platform.
Last year Yahoo failed in its bid to take a controlling stake in Dailymotion when the deal was blocked by French regulators. However, assuming Orange and Microsoft reach agreement, it seems highly likely this deal would be waved through by the French authorities on account of it only being a minority stake.
