What Ushuaïa TV does

Ushuaïa TV is a French thematic television channel dedicated to nature documentaries, environmental programming, wildlife exploration, and scientific discovery content. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt within the TF1 Group campus, the channel operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TF1 SA under the legal entity Société Paneuropéenne d'Edition et d'Exploitation de Documentaires, structured as a single-member simplified joint-stock company (SASU). The channel's programming slate includes original weekly series such as 'En Terre ferme' (an environmental talk show hosted by Fanny Agostini), 'Au bout c'est la mer' (river exploration with François Pêcheux), 'Terre sauvage' (wilderness self-sufficiency), and 'Chère mère nature', alongside co-produced documentaries such as 'Au coeur de la jungle' with WWF France and 'Secrets sauvages du patrimoine'.

The underlying technology is a conventional linear-TV broadcast operation distributed through French cable, satellite, and IPTV providers, augmented by a video-on-demand streaming platform hosted on ushuaiatv.fr. Technical integrations are limited to Google Analytics for audience measurement and cookie-based social sharing on Facebook and Twitter; there is no proprietary AI, recommendation engine, or advanced digital product disclosed. The 20-year-old channel maintains a registered 'Ushuaïa' trademark and in 2025 marked both its 20th anniversary and the 10th edition of its 'Prix du premier film scientifique' partnership with the Pariscience Festival and Association Science & Télévision.

Revenue is generated through two principal streams: subscription fees paid by French pay-TV operators carrying the channel, and advertising sales managed centrally by TF1 Publicité. End-customer pricing is not publicly disclosed; commercial inquiries are directed to TF1 Publicité. The channel serves French-speaking audiences interested in nature and environmental content and is operationally supported by TF1 Group's distribution network, website hosting, and press relations resources. Current accessibility status is non-conformant under RGAA 4.1.2, with 45% of criteria met as of November 2025.

Name

Ushuaïa TV

Legal name

SOCIETE PANEUROPENNE D'EDITION ET D'EXPLOITATION DE DOCUMENTAIRES

Website

https://ushuaiatv.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ushuaïa TV is a French thematic television channel, wholly owned by TF1 Group, that broadcasts nature, wildlife, and environmental documentaries to French-speaking audiences via pay-TV operators and on-demand streaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Documentary Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

International Thematic/Genre Broadcasters (Entertainment/Lifestyle/Documentary/Music) (MPABAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature, Science & Wildlife Documentaries (MPADADAF), Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM)

Keywords

• Nature documentary channel
• Thematic television broadcasting
• Wildlife documentary programming
• Environmental TV content
• Pay-TV documentary

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulogne-billancourt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TV Broadcasting and Subscription: Ushuaïa TV generates revenue through pay-TV subscriptions via French broadcasters and cable/satellite/IPTV providers, and advertising revenue from commercial breaks during programming.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ushuaïa TV is a French pay-TV thematic channel dedicated to nature documentaries, environmental programming, wildlife content, and exploration series. The channel is distributed via French cable, satellite, and IPTV operators and complemented by a streaming video-on-demand service on its official website, offering viewers on-demand access to programs after initial broadcast. Original and co-produced documentaries form the channel's core programming, supported by partnerships with environmental organizations such as WWF France and the Pariscience festival.

Product overview

Ushuaïa TV is a French television channel operated by Société Paneuropéenne d'Edition et d'Exploitation de Documentaires (part of TF1 Group). The channel focuses on nature documentaries, environmental programming, and exploration content. Its core offering includes the linear TV broadcast channel, a streaming VOD service, and original documentary series and programs. Key programs include 'En Terre ferme' (environmental talk show), 'Au bout, c'est la mer' (river exploration series), 'Terre sauvage' (wilderness survival), and 'Chère mère nature' (celebrity nature documentary). The channel produces or co-produces documentary content and partners with festivals like ParisScience for the 'Prix du premier film scientifique' competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ushuaïa Nature: Nature documentary series brand featuring exploration and wildlife content.

Products and services

• Ushuaïa TV Channel

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pariscience FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Ushuaïa TV partners with the Pariscience Festival for the 'Prix du premier film scientifique' (First Scientific Film Award), now in its 10th edition in 2025. The partnership supports emerging documentary filmmakers by offering coproduction opportunities worth 25,000 euros and broadcast rights on Ushuaïa TV.
• Association Science & Télévision (AST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Association Science & Télévation collaborates with Ushuaïa TV and Pariscience on the First Scientific Film Award, supporting the production of science documentaries for broadcast.
• WWF FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF France collaborated with Ushuaïa TV on the documentary 'Au coeur de la jungle' (In the Heart of the Jungle), narrated by Laetitia Casta, focusing on Congo Basin conservation.
• TF1 GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs a subsidiary of TF1 SA, Ushuaïa TV benefits from the distribution network, technical infrastructure, and marketing resources of France's leading commercial TV group. TF1 SA also provides hosting services for the channel's website.
• TF1 PublicitécoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTF1 Publicité handles commercial advertising sales for Ushuaïa TV, managing ad revenue across the channel's programming slots.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arte: Franco-German public broadcaster with strong documentary and environmental programming; serves overlapping French-speaking audiences interested in nature, science, and exploration content.
• Discovery Channel France: Major international nature/factual broadcaster with French distribution; overlaps with Ushuaïa TV's nature, wildlife, and adventure documentary categories, though as part of a much broader global portfolio.
• France 5: French public broadcaster with significant documentary and environmental programming; competes for the same nature/science-curious audience with free-to-air reach that Ushuaïa TV's pay-TV model cannot match.
• National Geographic Channel France: Global nature/science documentary brand with a French localized feed; competes for the same nature/wildlife audience but operates at vastly greater scale and content-investment capacity.

Emerging players

• Love Nature: Canadian nature/wildlife thematic channel with international distribution; comparable in genre focus and thematic-channel business model but is a smaller, English-language-focused player rather than a French-market incumbent.

Direct peers

• TV Breizh: Sister thematic channel under TF1 Group, operating as a French pay-TV thematic broadcaster in the same portfolio with similar distribution, sales, and operational infrastructure as Ushuaïa TV.
• RMC Découverte: French thematic pay-TV channel focused on discovery, nature, and science programming; directly competes with Ushuaïa TV's nature and exploration documentary positioning within French pay-TV lineups.
• Planète+: French pay-TV thematic channel dedicated to nature, science, and discovery content; competes directly with Ushuaïa TV for the same audience segments across French cable/satellite/IPTV platforms.
• Histoire TV: Third TF1 Group thematic channel, with the same parent, distribution backbone, and TF1 Publicité ad sales structure, making it a direct operational and portfolio peer.

Regional players

• BBC Earth: BBC's nature and wildlife brand distributing in international markets; comparable in editorial positioning (premium natural-history documentaries) but does not primarily target the French market where Ushuaïa TV operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ushuaia_tv
• Facebookfacebook.com/UshuaiaTV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ushuaia-tv

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Ushuaïa TV