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Group Profile |
Businesses
| Litigation | Risk Factors
Canal+ Group
2.1.4.
International Pay-TV
Canal+ Group has developed its pay-TV operations internationally through
its subsidiary Canal+ Overseas. It currently has more than 2.8 million
subscribers in the zones it covers (Caribbean, Indian Ocean, South Pacific,
Africa and Vietnam).
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2.1.4.1. Overseas Departments and Territories
Canal+ Overseas, the leading overseas audiovisual group, provides access
to more than 200 channels, primarily in French, via its Canal+ channels and
Canalsat offers in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South Pacific.
The acquisition of Mediaserv was a major step in the diversification of
Canal+ Overseas’ operations. Among other things, it allowed the launch
of Canalbox, a combined Internet/telephone offer in the Caribbean and
Réunion.
The mobile offer Canal+ Mobile has also been offered in the Caribbean
since October 2014, in partnership with the operator Digicel.
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2.1.4.2. Africa
Present in more than 30 countries in Central and West Africa, Canal
Overseas is the leading pay-TV operator in French-speaking Africa
through nine subsidiaries on the continent and Madagascar, as well as a
powerful distribution network.
The October 2014 roll-out of the major new African channel A+
significantly enhanced the quality and content of the offerings proposed
and confirmed Canal+’s strong commitment to the growth of audiovisual
on this continent.
In addition, in October 2004 Canal+ Overseas announced that it had
acquired a majority stake in Thema, a company specializing in the
distribution of general-interest, special-interest and ethnic TV channels.
This transaction permits Canal+ Overseas to accelerate its development,
particularly in Africa, and to integrate key expertise into the marketing
and production of ethnic content.
As of December 31, 2014, Canal+ Overseas had 1.55 million subscribers
in Africa.
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2.1.4.3. Vietnam
Canal+ Group is present in Vietnam with K+, a satellite package of
local and international channels created jointly with Vietnamese public
television. The package offers four premium K+ channels (K+1, K+NS,
K+PM and K+PC) produced by the group, with an ambitious policy for
rights acquisitions, particularly in sports. The K+ offers benefit from a
large distribution network with more than 2,800 points of sale and 13
proprietary boutiques (K+ Store).
As of December 31, 2014, K+ had 794,000 subscribers.
2.1.5.
Other Businesses
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Studiocanal
Studiocanal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canal+ Group, is the leading
European player in the production, acquisition, and distribution of movies
and TV series. It operates directly (theater distribution, video, digital and
TV) in the three main European markets (France, the United Kingdom
and Germany) as well as in Australia and in New Zealand.
It also boasts one of the largest film catalogs in the world, with over 5,000 titles.
Studiocanal is developing an ambitious international production policy.
It is the only studio in Europe to have signed a co-financing agreement
(slate financing) with an investment fund (Anton Capital Entertainment).
This partnership will significantly increase its investment capacity.
In recent months, Studiocanal has fully financed the movies
Tinker Tailor
Soldier Spy
with Gary Oldman, recognized at the British Academy Awards
(BAFTA),
Inside Llewyn Davis
by the Coen Brothers, which won the Grand
Prize of the Jury at Cannes in 2013, and the world blockbuster
Non-Stop
by Jaume Collet-Serra with Liam Neeson. More recently, it has invested
in films such as
The Gunman
, directed by Pierre Morel with Sean Penn,
Javier Bardem and Idris Elba,
Macbeth
, directed by Justin Kurtzel with
Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, the thriller
Bastille Day
with
Idris Elba and Carlotte le Bon, and the Stephen Frears film on Lance
Armstrong with Ben Foster and Guillaume Canet.
Studiocanal has also co-financed and distributed
The
Imitation Game
with
Benedict Cumberbatch in France and the United Kingdom. The critical
acclaim for this film was exceptional and it was a major success with
movie-goers.
Studiocanal has a strong presence in the family movie and animation
segment.
Paddington
, which was released in December 2014 and
produced by David Heyman, the producer of Harry Potter, with Nicole
Kidman and Hugh Bonneville in the lead roles, was a success worldwide.
In addition, the multi-award winning
Ernest & Celestine
won the 2013
Cesar for the best animated film and was nominated for a 2014 Oscar.
Finally, there is
Shaun the Sheep
, the famous character from the Aardman
studios, which is expected to launch its big screen career in 2015.
In 2010, Studiocanal also entered into an exclusive agreement with
nWave, the European leader in 3D production, and the producer, among
other things, of the first two episodes in the adventures of
Sammy the
turtle
and also the film
The House of Magic
.
Studiocanal is actively growing in the television series segment,
strengthening its position as a European leader in content production.
Since January 2012, it has been the majority shareholder of Tandem (the
creator of
Crossing Lines
and
Spotless
, a Canal+ original).
In December 2013, Studiocanal became the majority shareholder of
Britain’s RED Production Company. This entity specializes in quality
television series such as
Happy Valley
,
Prey
and
The Driver
, which always
have high audience ratings in the UK.
In May 2014, Canal+ Group, Studiocanal, the authors and creators Søren
Sveistrup and Adam Price, and the producer Meta Louise Foldager
partnered to form SAM Productions ApS. This production company will
collaborate with the best Scandinavian talent to produce televised series
for international viewing. Studiocanal joined SAM Productions ApS as
partner and distributor.
In September 2014, Studiocanal and The Picture Company, the new
production company of Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman, announced
a development and production agreement. Their first collaboration will
be the adaptation of Tom Wood’s
Victor The Assassin
franchise, which
is expected to be directed by Pierre Morel. Andrew Rona and Alex
Heineman have produced the successful films
Unknown, Non-Stop,
and
The Gunman
(also directed by Pierre Morel).
In the same month, Grand Electric, the new production company formed
by Eric Newman, entered into an agreement with Studiocanal for the
acquisition, development and production of feature films for the European
and American markets. Studiocanal will be the creative and financial
partner, manage international sales, and distribute the new projects from
Grand Electric in its regions.
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Annual Report 2014