Canal+ launching new low-cost offering to target under-26s

Canal+ is to launch a new low-cost offering aimed at under-26 year-olds as part of its drive to encourage younger people to subscribe to the pay TV service.

Subscribers under 26 years old will be able to subscribe to Canal+ for €9.95 in place of the usual charge of €19.90, with no ongoing monthly contract.

The digital offering will provide access to the MyCanal service on mobile phones, PCs and tablets and give access to Canal+ services both live and on-demand, anywhere in the EU.

The offering provides access to sports content including Ligue 1 football, Top 14 rugby, Formula 1 and Formula E motorsports, boxing, Champions League basketball and NHL hockey.

It also provides access to movies from Hollywood studios and homegrown French films a few months after their theatrical release, Canal+ and international original series, including shows from Showtime, AMC and FX, and documentary and magazine programming.

Canal+ said the new offering would enable it to target the six million 18-25 year-olds in France.

The launch follows the pay TV operator’s recent decision to offer the Apple TV 4K box as its IP set-top, a move that was also pitched as a bid to secure the allegiance of a younger audience segment.

Despite success in attracting overseas subscriber, particularly in Africa, Canal+ has continued to see its customer base in metropolitan France decline, although the rate at which it is declining has slowed down in recent quarters.