Canal+ has opted to pull French rival TF1‘s channel suite from its services in France, Switzerland and Africa amid a carriage row.
The London-listed French pay-TV giant acknowledged that “discussions with the TF1 Group have broken down,” resulting in TF1, TMC, TFX, TF1 Séries Films, LCI, Ushuaïa TV and Histoire TV going dark in Africa.
In France and French-speaking Switzerland, TF1 said “mini-generalist” thematic channel TV Breizh, history network Histoire TV and environmental protection channel Ushuaïa TV had been pulled.
TF1 said in a statement it “regrets this choice, which deprives loyal viewers of the channels they value and undermines the documentary sector as a whole.”
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The news comes just two weeks after TF1 channels began streaming on Netflix following an industry-first deal that has had analysts and market watchers speculating on its impact on the future for French broadcasting. Neither Canal+ or TF1 mentioned Netflix in their statements this week, instead choosing to focus on the failure to agree on deal terms.
“While Canal+ Group maintains long-term partnerships with all major French broadcasters as well as with the leading international streaming platforms, and despite several months of negotiations, it was unable to reach a comprehensive agreement, even though it was prepared to improve the terms in every respect for TF1,” said Canal+ in its statement.
“Nevertheless, Canal+ Group remains open to dialogue and is willing to resume discussions with a view to reaching an agreement based on reasonable, balanced and sustainable terms that safeguard the interests of both groups.”
TF1 Group claimed the loss of its three channels in Europe “deprives a broad audience of easier access to these programs and sends a worrying signal for the industry as a whole,” but noted they are still distributed on the likes of Bouygues Telecom, SFR, Orange, Free, Vitis, BIS TV and NordNet, while in Africa distribution remained with Orange, Digital Virgo, Malivision and Mauritius Telecom. It also noted the TF1+ app was available.
“The TF1 Group reaffirms its commitment to offering as many people as possible, in France and in Africa, access to high-quality, rich and diverse content, and remains fully mobilized to ensure that its audiences, wherever they are, have access to its channels and its content,” said TF1.
“This Canal+ decision leads the TF1 Group to consider its distribution strategy in a context where the digital offering is growing at a rapid pace.”
It’s not the first time Canal+ and TF1 have clashed publicly over carriage. TF1 had threatened to sue Canal+ in 2022 amid a stand-off over fees, but the two sides ultimately struck a new agreement.
