Courtaban, who had been COO of TV5 USA, succeeds Jean-Luc Cronel, who is retiring as CEO of TV5 USA.

In his new global role, Courtaban will identify growth and revenue opportunities worldwide for all TV5Monde linear and streaming offerings. He will also be in charge of TV5 USA’s premium linear and streaming channels, which include the recently launched TV5Monde Cinema on Demand, TV5Monde Style and the TiVi5 Monde network for children.    

“I am deeply honored to take on this exciting and challenging new role for TV5Monde globally and to be named CEO of TV5 USA,” Courtaban said. “In these roles, I look forward to continuing to provide our loyal and passionate existing viewership with the best in entertainment, news and cultural content while working to build TV5Monde’s global audience by implementing the means to entice and engage a new and even larger base of subscribers and viewers worldwide.”  ■ 

TV5Monde is being packaged with TV5Monde Cinema On Demand as an add-on package for fuboTV subscribers for $9.99 a month. 

Additional channels from TV5Monde will be launched at a later date.

“We are listening to what our customers want and, in these unprecedented times, there is a strong appetite for more entertainment content and, as sports gradually begin to return, international leagues,” said Mihir Shah, senior director, content strategy & acquisition at fuboTV. “TV5Monde is a great complement to our existing fuboTV channel lineup and strengthens our multicultural Hispanic, Portuguese and Italian programming with French content.”

TV5Monde programming, much of which is subtitled in English, includes Ligue 1 soccer and Top 14 rugby (expected to resume in September), newscasts, French films, drama documentaries and cultural programs.

“We’re very happy to work with fuboTV, one of the leading live TV streaming platforms in the U.S.,” said TV5Monde USA COO Patrice Courtaban. “TV5Monde is widely recognized for bringing a wealth of premium French language entertainment programming, movies and when the leagues return, unique, best-in-class sports coverage to viewers.”

TV5Monde Cinema on Demand provides recent theatrical releases plus classic French films. Movies available to subscribers include All About Yves, The Mystery of Henri Pick, and The Emperor of Paris.

African-American targeted services available to Xfinity customers with X1 and Flex include AFRO, Aspire TV, Black News Channel, Revolt and TV One, Brown Sugar, The Africa Channel and Impact Network.

Latino-themed networks available include CBeebies, Cinelatino, Cine Sony, Cinema, Dinamita MX, Kanal D Drama, Kids Central en español, Pantaya, RCN Novelas, Universo, ViendoMovies and Vme Kids. International Networks now available include Filipino On Demand, Hi-YAH!, KOCOWA (all programs subtitled in English) and TV5MONDE.

The move to offer free services is the third for Comcast in response to the pandemic.

“All year round, we provide our customers with a wide variety of diverse and in-language programming and we’re happy to work with our partners to make a selection available for free,” said Rebecca Heap, Senior Vice President, Video & Entertainment for Comcast Cable in a statement. 

Under the deal, TV5Monde USA's on-demand service will present a number of the official selections that will screen at SIFF's French Cinema Now Seattle Festiva, slatedl from Oct. 23-30, during October and  throughout November.

The films, which represent 50% of the festival programming, will be available on TV5MONDE Cinema On Demand to Comcast XFINITY customers in Seattle, as well as 11 additional major U.S. markets, including San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Miami and Washington D.C.

“We are pleased to once again partner with SIFF this year and bring our viewers around the country with this unique opportunity to view a selection of the acclaimed French-language films being presented at the festival," said TV5MONDE USA COO Patrice Courtaban. "For some viewers, this offers a passport to experience the best of French Cinema Now Seattle from their own homes. For those attending the festival, it will offer an opportunity to rewatch favorites or catch any films they may have missed." 

“For more than a decade TV5MONDE USA has been an unwavering supporter of SIFF's efforts to bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world,” said SIFF’s artistic director Carl Spence. “In 2007, they helped us launch SIFF Cinema as a presenting sponsor and have continued their major support ever since. The opportunity to showcase a selection of films from our French Cinema Now line-up to audiences across the United States for the second year in a row is a great opportunity for furthering our mission to bring the best in cinema to American audiences. These are exceptional films that have not been widely seen outside of their country of origin and would not otherwise be available for audiences to discover without this groundbreaking partnership to provide a home for films without US distribution.”

The following French-language official selections at the SIFF French Cinema Now Seattle film festival are currently available on TV5MONDE USA Cinema On Demand through Nov. 28: 

·         Du goudron et des plumes (2014, Comedy) – This sensitive, bittersweet comedy plunges to the heart of crisis-riddled provincial France. Directed by Pascal Rabate and stars Sami Bouajila, Isabelle Carré, Daniel Prevost, Zinedine Soualem and Talina Boyaci.  

·         Je TeSurvivrai (2014, Comedy) – Joe is trapped, alone, with a beer and a phone with no signal. Directed by Sylvestre Sbille and stars Jonathan Zaccai, Ben Riga, Tania Barbarski and Laurent Capelutto.  

·         COLT 45 (2014, Action) – Vincent meets a mysterious field agent who drags him into an infernal swirl of violence. Directed by Fabrice Du Welz and stars Gérard Lanvin, Joey Starr, Ymanol Perset, Simon Abkarian and Alice Taglioni. Le Prochain Film (2013, Comedy) – When brothers Louis and Pierre work together on a film, their families are not keen to see it made. Directed by René Féret and stars Frédéric Pierrot, Sabrina Seyvecou, Antoine Chappey and Maryline Canto. 

·         12 Ansd’Age (2013, Comedy) – Two friends fill their days with abundant imagination, sometimes worrying the women in their lives. Directed by Frédéric Proust and stars François Berleand, Patrick Chesnais, Anne Consigny and Florence Thomassin.  

·         Jeunesse (2012, Drama) – Juliette, a 20-year-old college student, stumbles on her way to adulthood. Directed by Justine Malle and stars Esther Garrel, Didier Bezace, Emile Bertherat and Lucia Sanchez. 

·         Madame Solario (2012, Drama) – Ms. Solario is young and beautiful, and also devistated by her divorce. Directed by René Féret and stars Marie Féret, Cyril Descours, Salomé Stévenin, Harry Lister Smith, Andrei Zayats. 

·         Les Conquérants (2011, Comedy) – Two half-brothers begin an adventure following their father's funeral. Directed by Xabi Molia and stars Mathieu Demy, Denis Podalydès and Christian Crahay.