International subscribers boosted Canal+ revenues in Q1 taking turnover to €1.37 billion. Revenues from international operations were up by 35.3 per cent (8.7 per cent in constant currency) against a 1 per cent uplift over all.

The results also included an upturn in individual subscriptions in France, where it added 62,000 year-on-year.

The subscriber base, including the acquisition of pan-European pay TV operator M7 Group, totalled 20.1 million at the end of March, up from 16.7 million a year earlier. International subscribers were up by 3.5 million year-on-year.

Vivendi said that Canal+’s revenues were being negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis, but that it had taken action to ensure the continuity of operations as well as maintaining control on costs and investments.

The quarterly figures do not reflect the full impact of the crisis on the pay TV outfit’s performance, which have seen the staple of subscription services – football – disappear from the schedule. Canal+ controversially offered its services free of charge, leading to complaints from free-to-air broadcasters, and it has found itself in a stand-off with the French football over rights payments since the crisis.

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