Canal+ wants to provide an alternative to the great unbundling of video streaming services. France’s leading pay-TV group announced that it will sell Netflix subscriptions starting on October 15.
Instead of having to subscribe to multiple different services, Canal+ hopes that customers are looking for the ability to pay a monthly subscription for multiple services at once. This strategy is somewhat similar to Amazon Prime Video Channels and Apple TV Channels in the U.S.
People who subscribe to Canal+ for €20 per month (or €10 per month if you’re under 26) will be able to add a package of movies and TV shows for another €15 per month.
This package contains a standard Netflix subscription that lets you stream content in HD on two devices at once, which usually costs €12 per month in France. In addition to Netflix, you also can access OCS, which includes all HBO content and various live TV channels and on-demand content.
Overall, you get a ton of original content from Canal+, Netflix and HBO for €35 per month. But Canal+ already says that the package that includes Netflix won’t cost €15 forever. You can expect a price hike at some point in the coming months.
Canal+ provides its own set-top box and also has distribution deals with all major telecommunications companies in France. But even after launching an over-the-top offering that doesn’t require a set-top box, Canal+ has been steadily losing subscribers over the past few years. Netflix says that it currently has 6 million subscribers in France.
Over the past few years, Canal+ has been operating a shift from live TV to on-demand streaming. In addition to its usual TV channels with a mix of live sports, movies and TV shows, you can now stream movies and TV shows from a popular iOS and Android app called myCanal.
Canal+ customers who have a Canal+ set-top box will also be able to add the new package with Netflix. If you’re an existing Netflix subscriber, you’ll be able to link your Netflix account with your Canal+ account to tell Netflix that you’re already paying through Canal+ and stop Netflix billing. It’s still unclear whether Netflix content will be available in the myCanal app.