TF1 ad revenue for the nine months to September was €967m, down 19 per cent on the same period in 2008. TF1 channel programming costs fell from €749m last year to €664m, of which €54m was due to savings on sports rights costs relating to TF1’s coverage of Euro 2008 and €31m due to “optimisation of the programming schedule and cuts in programme costs”. Programming costs included some €10 million spent on filling the slots taken by Euro 2008 matches last year.
Operating profit for the first nine months was €33m, after a €14m deduction relating to the new tax on commercial broadcasters to compensate for the abolition of advertising on public-service broadcaster France Télévisions.