French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has unveiled a revamped business model in a bid to expand its customer base and turn around increasing losses.
The plans are headlined by six new subscription packages ranging from €19.90 ($22) per month to €99. Canal Plus Group chief executive Maxime Saada said that through the initiative the company will seek to double its subscriber base by 2018.
“It’s a historical moment for the group,” he said. “The last time we announced such drastic changes was back in 2007 when we merged with TPS, but today these changes are even more radical.”
The Canalsat direct-to-home brand will be scrapped as the broadcaster’s premium pay-television channels will be integrated with the former service under the Canal brand. Launching on November 15, the new offering will provide an entry for consumers through the flagship Canal Plus channel, with customers then having the option to add packages such as Les Chaînes Ciné Séries, Les Chaînes Sport and Les Chaînes Canal Plus.
Les Chaînes Sport will offer the broadcaster’s array of sporting content, which includes rights to club football’s Ligue 1 and Uefa Champions League, as well as the Top 14 – the top tier of domestic rugby union. For the first time, all packages will be available with or without a long-term commitment in a move designed to target younger subscribers.
Canal Plus is also offering subscribers the chance to subscribe for 24 months, instead of a year, in order to secure a cheaper rate. Frank Cadoret, head of distribution, technical and information systems for Canal Plus, added: “We want to reach the widest possible demographic so are striving to adapt to the tastes and financial means of all. Fifty-five per cent of people in France have never had Canal Plus, and we’re looking to bring them in.”