Canal+ cinema pledge tops $1 billion in five-year French film deal
Canal+ says its 2028 deal will put more than $1 billion into French and European cinema while keeping films on the service after six months.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Canal+ cinema pledge will put more than $1 billion into French and European film over five years under a new agreement with France’s BLOC group and director body ARP, according to the Paris-based pay-TV company.
Canal+ said the deal starts in 2028 and covers Canal+ and CINÉ+ OCS. The company described the agreement as unmatched in both size and length.
The BLOC group brings together French film organizations including SRF, SPI, UPC, DIRE, SDI and Animfrance, along with film guilds. Canal+ said the accord renews its commitment to France’s “cultural exception,” the principle that cinema is a creative art form needing a dedicated model for financing, support and distribution.
What is the Canal+ cinema pledge?
The pledge is a five-year investment agreement for French and European cinema, beginning in 2028, tied to Canal+ and CINÉ+ OCS. Canal+ said it will invest nearly 1 billion euros, or more than $1 billion, while maintaining a favorable release window in France’s media chronology system.
That system sets when films can move from theaters to television and streaming services. Canal+ said its level of investment allows it to show movies six months after their theatrical release.
Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said in the company’s announcement that the agreement reflected the long relationship between the broadcaster and cinema. “By investing a record amount of nearly 1 billion euros over an unprecedented five-year term, we are proud to reaffirm our support for cinema, its power, creativity, and diversity,” Saada said.
Saada also said the arrangement means “the very best of cinema” will be available on Canal+ six months after cinema release and will stay that way for years.
What kinds of films will Canal+ support?
Canal+ said the new agreement strengthens backing for first-time filmmakers, emerging talent, new forms of filmmaking, diverse films and animation.
The company also said it will include measures for medium-budget mainstream movies, known in France as “films du milieu.” Canal+ described those films as essential to the renewal of French cinema and to its economic stability, and said the deal also supports ambitious projects made for broad audiences.
The agreement includes qualitative commitments aimed at making films more visible and supporting diversity in productions, according to Canal+.
Why the deal arrives at a sensitive time
The announcement follows months of concern from parts of the French film industry over what some artists see as the influence of conservative media tycoon Vincent Bolloré on Canal+ through Bolloré Group’s 30% stake.
At the Cannes Film Festival in May, a petition titled “Time To Switch-Off Bolloré” was signed by hundreds of French and European artists. The petition’s supporters raised fears about diversity and pluralism at Canal+, citing the rightward direction of news channel CNews and Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche after Vivendi took control of their parent companies.
Bolloré Group retains a 29.3% stake in Vivendi, according to the reporting. Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada and Bolloré Group CEO Cyril Bolloré have rejected suggestions of political interference at Canal+.
The new film deal gives Canal+ a fresh headline in the French cinema debate: a long, expensive promise to keep money flowing into local and European movies, with theatrical releases still reaching its subscribers after six months.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.