France’s competition authority has formally accused a pay-TV company of abusing a dominant position in the market for film rights, a step that could lead to a fine against the biggest private funder of French cinema.
The Autorité de la concurrence said on 29 September that its rapporteur general had sent a notification of objections alleging the imposition of unfair trading conditions in pay television and in the acquisition and broadcasting of films. The authority, which opened the case on its own initiative on 25 September 2024, declined to name the company.
Who and what
Advanced Television reported that Les Echos, in information confirmed to AFP, identified the company as the Canal+ group. According to those sources, the case concerns two clauses of a 2021 agreement between film industry bodies and Canal+: one limiting to ten the number of films available on rival free platforms, and one allowing Canal+ to review its investment if a competitor’s release window came close to its own. Under that agreement, Canal+ committed to invest €600 million in French and European cinema over three years.
The 2021 deal has since been replaced. In July 2026 Canal+ committed to invest €980 million over five years under a new agreement that keeps its six-month window after cinema release, ahead of Disney+ at nine months and Netflix at 17.
France’s film funding model depends on one pay-TV group, and the regulator is now testing what that group can demand in return.
Next steps
The notification opens an adversarial procedure. The parties can respond in writing, in one or two rounds, before an oral hearing at which the authority’s board decides whether the objections are made out. The authority stressed that notifying objections does not presume guilt. Canal+’s response was not reported.
What to watch
- Canal+’s written reply and the date of the oral hearing.
- Whether the authority imposes a fine or accepts changes to contract terms.
- Any knock-on effect on the July 2026 cinema agreement and release windows.
