French Premium TV Channel Canal+ Launches Streaming Service for $8 Per Month

• Canal+ is set to take on Netflix in France with its own Canal+ Séries streaming service.
• The plans start at €7 per month ($7.90) with HD/4K streaming for a single device.
• The channel will be focusing on TV shows instead of movies due to French regulations restricting broadcasting movies right after launch.

With international streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offering immense value for money with their services, local TV channels are having a hard time. French TV channel Canal+ is trying to reshape its own brand with a new streaming service that is going live today. The broadcaster's new Canal+ Séries subscription-based service will be offering TV shows and original content, starting at €7 ($7.90) per month.

Canal+ has partnered with a number of American networks like Showtime and FX to bring content from the US to France. There are over 150 series available at launch and more will be added over time. The French TV channel seeks to take on Netflix with its aggressive pricing and exclusive content. With the myCanal OTT service already available to viewers for years, distributing all of the new content will not be a huge problem for the broadcaster.

Retrouvez au lancement de CANAL+ SÉRIES, les @CreationCanal avec @Engrenages , #HIPPOCRATE, @VersaillesCANAL , #PLATANE, @GuyaneCANAL ... et bientôt #VERNONSUBUTEX. pic.twitter.com/AQcRb5neBt

— CANAL+ Group (@canalplusgroupe) March 11, 2019

Canal+ is taking advantage of French laws to push its focus on TV shows. There are restrictions in the European country when it comes to streaming movies, but TV shows do not fall under any regulations and can be streamed right after they premiere. Currently, Netflix commands 5 million subscribers in France which is just slightly higher than Canal+ and the French broadcaster may be able to get the top spot back with the launch of the new service.

Prior to the streaming service being launched, Canal+ was reliant on the age-old TV subscription model that forced users to pay for 12 or 24 months at a time. However, the streaming market is far more competitive, and it is killing such practices with competitive pricing. With more international brands like Disney+ launching later this year, the shift towards digital subscriptions will be even greater.

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