Advanced Television

CanalPlay, Disney launching French SVoD

April 15, 2015

Colin Mann @ MIPTV

CanalPlay, the Canal+ Group’s streaming service, has agreed a deal with Disney France to launch Maker On Demand, a new product offering from Maker Studios. Available at no additional cost, nor commitment to CanalPlay subscribers and featuring short-form video from Maker’s portfolio of content, Maker On Demand will launch in the summer of 2015. CanalPlay will be the first SVoD platform in France to offer Maker’s programming.

Maker On Demand will launch with approximately 2,000 videos across popular content themes such as gaming, comedy, sports, fashion, beauty, and family, to name a few, featuring talent from a network of 55,000 creators globally. The on demand offering will be refreshed monthly with 200 new pieces of content.

“We are delighted with this collaboration, which represents an important milestone in CanalPlay’s digital offering,” said Patrick Holzman, Director of CanalPlay. “With CanalPlay’s power and Maker Studio’s unparalleled expertise in online video content, we will enable our subscribers to discover new talent and share with them new high-quality formats adapted for use on smartphones and tablets.”

Astrid Barbot, General Manager of Disney Media Distribution France, said Maker’s content was compelling, new and innovative and resonated strongly with a young audience. “Having CanalPlay on board as the first of our clients to globally launch Maker’s existing hits including locally relevant content is ideal and we look forward to seeing how this platform can enrich viewing experiences for younger audiences. This launch builds upon years of innovative collaborations with Canal+ Group.”

René Rechtman, Head of International for Maker Studios added: “Launching Maker On Demand represents an exciting new chapter in our global strategy, bringing the wealth of our programming to a key player in the European market. We are delighted to become a part of CanalPlay’s service which, – with its innovative digital strategy and enormous reach – represents a perfect partner for Maker in France.”

The launch of Maker On Demand is in line with CanalPlay’s strategic direction, which apart from a very rich offering of films and series, seeks to promote new digital formats. In September 2014, CanalPlay launched two labels dedicated to original digital series: the first, Digital Revelations, made up of purchased or co-produced fictional works, and the second, French Oh Humour, focusing on humour and comedy.

CanalPlay is available independently of any subscription for the Canal+ Group’s pay-TV offers. At the end of 2014, CanalPlay reached 600,000 subscribers.

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