What Molotov does

Molotov is a Paris-based consumer streaming platform, founded in 2015 and now operating as a subsidiary of the US-based sports-first streaming company FuboTV. It aggregates more than 180 television channels — including all French TNT broadcast networks (TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, Arte, etc.) plus thematic, international, and curated Molotov Channels — into a unified cloud-delivered service accessible across smart TVs (Samsung Tizen, LG WebOS, Sony Android TV), streaming devices (Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield), mobile (iOS, Android), web browsers, and gaming consoles (PlayStation 4/5, Xbox).

The underlying technology is a cloud-based streaming architecture that supports live TV, replay, start-over, multi-screen synchronization across devices, and cloud-based DVR (80 hours on paid tiers) without requiring user hardware. Differentiated features include personality following with personalized alerts, cross-device viewing continuity, and a 7-day replay window across the channel lineup. The platform has secured premium sports rights — notably Ligue 1 football for the 2025/2026 season (the first streaming platform to do so) — alongside dedicated channels for FIFA World Cup 2026 and Roland-Garros 2026.

Commercially, Molotov operates a freemium subscription model: a free tier with 40 channels and 3,000+ hours of on-demand content; Molotov Extra at €4.99/month for 90+ channels, Full HD, four simultaneous screens, and cloud recording; and Molotov Extended for 130+ channels. Molotov Plus enables EU portability for French residents traveling within the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The primary customer segment is French households seeking flexible alternatives to traditional pay-TV, with secondary reach into French travelers across Europe. Leadership consists of founder and CEO Jean-David Blanc, Chairman Pierre Lescure, and a compact executive team covering business development, marketing, and operations/partnerships. The platform employs 101-250 people.

Name

Molotov

Legal name

Molotov

Website

https://molotov.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Molotov is a Paris-based consumer streaming platform, subsidiary of FuboTV, aggregating 180+ French and international TV channels with freemium and paid subscription tiers (€4.99+/month) across smart TVs, mobile, web, and gaming consoles for French households and EU travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

OTT Streaming Television

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual MVPDs (Live TV Streaming Bundles) (MPABAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aggregator/Platform Channels & Marketplace Bundles (Channel Stores, Super-Aggregators) (MPABAHAM), Pay-TV Value-Added Services (DVR, VOD, TV Everywhere, Apps) (MPABAGAG), Live TV Streaming (vMVPD/IPTV OTT) (MPACAAAD)

Keywords

• OTT video streaming
• Live TV streaming
• Video on demand
• Cloud DVR
• Freemium streaming service

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Freemium Subscription: Free tier provides 40 TV channels and Molotov Channels on-demand (3000+ hours). Premium tiers (Extra €4.99+/month for 90+ channels, Extended for 130+ channels) unlock additional channels, HD quality, 4 simultaneous screens, cloud recording, and EU portability.
2. Premium Subscriptions: Paid subscription tiers offering expanded channel lineup, premium features (cloud recording, multi-screen), and enhanced streaming quality (Full HD/4K) for subscribers seeking broader content access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Molotov is a French over-the-top TV streaming platform that aggregates more than 180 channels—including all French TNT broadcast networks—and delivers live television, start-over, 7-day replay, cloud-based DVR recording, and an on-demand library (Molotov Channels) across smart TVs, streaming devices, mobile, web, and gaming consoles. Its commercial offer is a freemium subscription: a free tier (40 channels + on-demand) and paid Extra (€4.99+/month, 90+ channels) and Extended (130+ channels) tiers, supplemented by sports content such as Ligue 1+.

Product overview

Molotov is a French TV streaming platform offering a unified service across multiple tiers. The core Molotov platform provides free access to 40 TNT channels plus the Molotov Channels on-demand service (3000+ hours of content). Premium tiers include Molotov Extra (starting at 4.99€/month) for 90+ channels with HD quality, 4 simultaneous screens, and cloud recording, and Molotov Extended for 130+ channels. The platform also features Molotov Channels branded themed bundles (CHOC, Life, Vintage, Cinéma, Séries, Docs, Kids, Family, BLOOD, Novelas), Ligue 1+ sports content, and specialized event coverage including FIFA World Cup 2026 and Roland-Garros 2026. Key features include live TV streaming, 7-day replay, start-over functionality, cloud recording, and EU portability through Molotov Plus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Molotov Channels: A branded channel offering access to thousands of films, series and documentaries on-demand
• Ligue 1+
• Molotov TV Awards

Products and services

• Molotov Core French TV streaming platform offering live television, start-over, replay, cloud recording and on-demand content across 180+ TV channels (all French TNT networks plus thematic and international channels) via smart TVs, streaming devices, mobile, web, and gaming consoles. Includes a free tier with 40 channels and the Molotov Channels on-demand library of 3,000+ hours of films, series, and documentaries.
• Ligue 1+ Dedicated sports channel within the Molotov ecosystem streaming Ligue 1 football matches live, introduced as part of Molotov's 2025/2026 Ligue 1 rights deal alongside McDonald's and traditional French TV channels.
• Molotov Channels Curated themed on-demand channel bundles (CHOC, Life, Vintage, Cinéma, Séries, Docs, Kids, Family, BLOOD, Novelas and others) offering genre-specific films, series and documentaries within the Molotov platform, available free with on-demand access to 3,000+ hours of content.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180+ TV channels accessible
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fubo / FuboTVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2025Molotov secured Ligue 1 football rights for the 2025/2026 season as part of Fubo's expansion strategy in Europe. The deal marked Molotov as the first streaming platform to offer Ligue 1 alongside McDonald's and traditional French TV channels in a single ecosystem. This partnership supports Fubo's international sports content strategy.
• McDonald's FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcDonald's is mentioned alongside Molotov as co-partners in the Ligue 1 rights deal for 2025/2026, suggesting a multi-sponsor or co-marketing arrangement around French football content.
• French TV Channel Partners (TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, Arte, etc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMolotov aggregates content from over 180 TV channels including all French TNT networks (TF1, France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, M6, Arte, etc.), thematic channels, and international content. These content licensing agreements form the core value proposition of the platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canal+: France's dominant pay-TV operator and Molotov's primary direct competitor. Canal+ offers premium channel bundles, exclusive Ligue 1 rights history, and Hollywood content via OCS, competing head-to-head with Molotov's premium tiers and serving the same French household segment.
• Pluto TV: Paramount-owned FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) platform offering themed linear channels on-demand. Operates a comparable ad-supported free TV streaming model and is expanding in European markets including France, overlapping with Molotov's free tier and themed Molotov Channels bundles.
• Fransat: French satellite-based free and pay-TV platform distributing TNT channels and premium bouquets across France. Competes directly with Molotov for French households seeking access to TNT channels without a traditional cable subscription.
• Zattoo: European live TV streaming aggregator operating across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Spain. Closely comparable business model (cloud-based live TV, replay, cloud recording across devices) to Molotov, but operating in different European geographies rather than France.
• Freebox TV (Free / Iliad): Iliad-owned French ISP-delivered TV service bundling Freebox channels and OTT content with broadband subscriptions. Competes with Molotov for French households seeking integrated TV + internet access without traditional pay-TV, especially through its own OTT player.

Broad incumbents

• Samsung TV Plus: Device-manufacturer-embedded FAST service pre-installed on Samsung smart TVs — a distribution channel Molotov also leverages. Represents the incumbent free linear streaming model built into TV hardware, competing for the same French household eyes on the largest screen.
• Sling TV: US-based vMVPD owned by Dish Network offering live TV streaming bundles with cloud DVR and multi-screen features. Closely mirrors Molotov's virtual MVPD architecture, freemium-adjacent pricing, and multi-device availability — a useful benchmark for product strategy in a different geography.
• YouTube TV: Google-operated US vMVPD offering 100+ live channels with cloud DVR and unlimited streams. Comparable as a market-leading virtual MVPD reference point for Molotov's feature set and pricing tiering, though not operating in France.

Regional players

• TVN (TV streaming): European live TV streaming service similar in product architecture to Molotov, offering live channels, replay and cloud-based features across multiple European markets. Comparable virtual MVPD positioning outside of France.

Emerging players

• TF1+: TF1's direct-to-consumer streaming platform offering on-demand and live replays of TF1 channel content. Represents a partial overlap / emerging competitive threat — TF1 is both a Molotov content partner and a direct competitor building its own streaming destination.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/molotov-tv
• Facebookfacebook.com/molotovapp
• Xx.com/molotovtv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Molotov