Description
ARTE.tv is the free streaming site and app of ARTE, the Franco-German public cultural channel: live TV, catch-up, documentaries, films, series, concerts and reports, with no subscription and no advertising.
ARTE is a European economic interest grouping based in Strasbourg, set up by a 1990 treaty between France and the German Länder. Its two members are Arte France, owned by France Télévisions, the French state, Radio France and INA, and ARTE Deutschland, owned half by ARD and half by ZDF. Nearly all its money is public: the German broadcasting fee and, since France abolished its licence fee, the French state budget, which gave €298.1 million in 2025. The founding treaty rules out advertising, though some sponsorship is allowed.
ARTE.tv works in a browser and on phones, tablets and smart TVs, and most videos play without an account. It is available in seven languages, Romanian being the latest, and ARTE counted 3.3 billion video views in 2025.
Strengths
- No subscription, no advertising and, for most videos, no account.
- Programmes in seven languages, which makes much of the catalogue usable across Europe.
- Funded by public money and owned by public broadcasters and the French state.
Weaknesses
- Programmes leave the platform when their rights end, and some can’t be watched in every country.
- Offline viewing only works in the app and for a limited time, 72 hours according to several app guides.
- Its budget depends on French politics: the 2025 allocation was €13 million lower than announced.
Who it is for
Viewers in Europe who want documentaries, auteur films, concerts and European series without a streaming subscription, and don’t mind that titles come and go.