TNT: Canal+ withdraws its pay channels to protest against the end of C8

Unsurprisingly, Canal+ has been a bit unhappy since the ARCOM's decision not to renew the TNT frequency of its C8 channel. As a reminder, from March 1, 2025 this will be replaced by another, in particular due to the multiple problems and fines generated by Cyril Hanouna's TPMP show.

To protest against this choice of depriving viewers of the “first TNT channel“, Canal+ made another strong decision: to withdraw its four pay channels itself.

The channels CANAL+, CANAL+ Cinéma, CANAL+ Sport, Planète are therefore affected. All of them will no longer be accessible to Canal+ subscribers via TNT from June 2025. To explain this decision, Vincent Bolloré's group underlines “an increasingly restrictive tax and regulatory environment for the group in France.“

In addition to the withdrawal of C8 from TNT which comes “unbalance the activity of its pay channels on DTT“, Canal+ is complaining here specifically about two things. The first is an increase in its tax paid to the CNC. The second is the probable end of the advantageous VAT rate from which it benefits. Canal+ nevertheless emphasizes being the “leading financier of French cinema.“

Solutions for affected subscribers

Today, few Canal+ subscribers (around 700,000) are forced to watch the channels only via DTT, especially useful when there is no satellite dish or Internet access.

However, for them Canal+ indicates that “the group will offer them the necessary equipment so that they can continue to benefit from all of the programs on their channels on other broadcasting methods.“It is thus a question of access by satellite, ADSL/fiber via telecom operators, or even Internet/OTT from the Canal+ application on all connected screens.

If the group's other channels, namely CStar and CNews, remain in place, the withdrawal of the four other Canal+ channels from DTT is a real boon for new ones which will be able to take the frequencies. Remember that in 2025 two Ouest France projects will be added.