Benoit Louvet Replaces Patrick Binet as Head of TF1 International

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PARIS - TF1 International has a new number one with Benoit Louvet set to replace Patrick Binet as president of the company, TF1 confirmed on Friday.

Louvet will run the Paris-based sales company in addition to its audiovisual rights subsidiary TF1 Droits Audiovisuels covering both film and TV sales and acquisitions.

Daniel Preljocaj will serve alongside Louvet as CEO of TF1 International and TF1 Droits Audiovisuel.

After 12 years at French telecom Bouygues, Louvet came to TF1 in 2007 then started as vp of acquisitions and distribution for TF1 Droits Audiovisuel as of last year. Preljocaj has been at TF1 since 1995 and has been CEO of TF1 Video since last October.

Louvet comes on after a series of scandals involving Binet over the past few years. Binet was placed under police investigation in 2008 when a governmental official died in his apartment, then TF1 Droits Audiovisuel lost a court case against Spike Lee involving Lee’s Miracle at Santa Anna.

Binet did have a strong nine-year run at TF1 including helping to finance and handling world sales for La Vie en Rose.

The shuffle comes just ahead of the AFM where TF1 International will be pushing several new titles including Demons Never Die, Y/N - You Lie You Die and Rebirth.