Canal+ to close Planète+ Thalassa

Canal+ and France Télévisions plan to close their joint marine life-focused factual channel Planète+ Thalassa at the end of the year.

Canal+ revealed the plan to close down the channel in a programming bulletin this week, without giving further details.

France Télévisions, which originally broadcast Thalassa as a documentary strand on France 3, had a one third stake in the channel, with Canal+ owning the remaining two thirds. The service was originally launched as Planète 2 by MultiThématiques in 1999, changing its name to Planète Thalassa after the signing of the agreement with the public broadcaster in 2002, before becoming Planète+ Thalassa in 2011.

Earlier this year Canal+ announced the closure of channels Maison+, Cuisine+ and Sport+ along with youth-focused Jimmy. The pay broadcaster is currently attempting to secure regulatory approval for the transition of factual channel Planète+ from pay TV to free-to-air, with a hearing due to be held today.