16
Annual Report -
2013
-
Vivendi
Group Profile |
Businesses
| Litigation | Risk Factors
1
Canal+ Group
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2.1.2.3. Distribution activities
Canal+ Group distributes its offerings through specific subscriptions
on DVB, satellite, ADSL, fiber, cable (the
Chaînes Canal+
only), mobile
devices and the Internet. ADSL offerings are also available in the
form of prepaid cards. Offerings are sold through Group call centers
and websites, in nearly 7,000 outlets, through the Group’s commercial
partners (mass-market retail stores, specialized stores and phone stores)
and through Internet Service Provider (ISP) distribution platforms.
Canal+ Group maintains an exclusive relationship with its subscribers,
from activation to termination. As of December 31, 2013, with
6.1 million individual subscribers in metropolitan France, the Group has
the largest customer base for a pay-TV offering.
Alongside its distribution activities, the Group also markets some of its
special-interest channels through third-party distributors, particularly
the cable operator Numericable, and all the ISPs, which integrate them
into their own pay-TV offerings.
Internationally, the Group adapts its distribution strategy to the
specificities of each market.
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2.1.2.4. New services
Canal+ Group is a digital pioneer and a pioneer of new television
services in Europe, particularly video-on-demand, set-top boxes and
multi-screen distribution. In 2013, the Group also strengthened its online
presence.
Video-on-Demand (VoD)
Canal+ Group has created Canalplay, a platform for unlimited video-
on-demand by subscription. Canalplay offers a catalog of more than
8,000 titles available in high-definition format, in French or in their
original subtitled version, including over 3,500 episodes from series
productions, as well as a children’s space that is completely secure.
Canalplay may be accessed without commitment and independently of
any subscription to Canal+ and/or Canalsat.
Since 2005, Canal+ Group has also offered a pay-per-view VoD service,
Canalplay VoD. More than 10,000 titles, including 5,000 films, are
accessible by streaming or download. They are available on all devices,
including Samsung, LG and Panasonic connected TV sets.
Set-Top Boxes
Set-top boxes used by households subscribing to Canal+ Group’s
offerings now have an Internet connection that allows them to access
a wide range of services: catch-up TV, the Euréka recommendation
engine based on television viewer consumer data, and an innovative
program guide. These set-top boxes, all pre-installed with a hard disk
saving option, feature a particularly fluid and ergonomic user interface.
Canal+ Group anticipates launching in the near future a new update of
its DBV set-top boxes, which will allow viewers to receive the entire
Canalsat package of offerings through a hybrid DBV / Internet service,
as well as all related connected services.
The Multi-Screen Experience
In December 2013, Canal+ Group launched myCanal, a unique portal
where subscribers can find all content linked to their subscription, direct
or on demand, as well as all related services (including customized TV
and recommendations, remote downloads, interfaces with a set-top box
and a tablet device).
Internet
In December 2013, introduced as part of a policy to expand the
broadcasting of its content online, Canal+ Group announced the
launch of a multi-channel network on YouTube. Nearly 20 channels
broadcast a selection of unscrambled programming from Canal+, D8
and i>Télé. Specific channels have also been created around key Canal+
brand specialties, such as films, series and music. At the same time,
Canal+ Group launched the Canal Factory label, to highlight young talent
that has emerged on
elsewhere online, and to test
new program formats.
Canal+ Group has also launched the first content-on-demand service in
Canada, in partnership with Dailymotion. In addition to free access to all
unscrambled Canal+ programs, it offers streaming (SVoD), specifically of
all the channel’s original creations (including
Tunnel
,
Maison Close
and
Braquo
), from the day after their release in France, as well as a catalog
of recent and unreleased films in Canada.
High-Definition TV
Since 2011, HD has been integrated among the standard offerings of
Canal+ at no extra charge to subscribers (the availability of HD varies
depending on the technical limitations of each platform, with the
exception of the Canal+ channel, which is available in HD regardless of
broadcast method). The same is true for Canalsat, which offers up to 60
HD channels by satellite and ADSL.
2.1.3.
Free-to-air TV
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2.1.3.1. Free Channel Division
Canal+ Group historically operates in free-to-air TV via unscrambled
Canal+, particularly in the early evening, and via the 24-hour news
channel i>Télé. In 2012, it created a free-to-air channel division,
which includes the general interest channel D8 and the music channel
D17, formerly Direct 8 and Direct Star, which were re-launched in
October 2012 with new programs. These three channels, broadcast
by DVB, are available throughout the country to virtually the entire
population of France. They are also active in the TV packages of
satellite, ADSL, cable and other operators. All revenue comes from
advertising.
At the end of December, 2013, all channels in the free-to-air division
were aired to an aggregate audience share of 5.5%, including 3.4% for
D8 which, only one year after its launch, is regularly ranked fifth among
the nation’s top channels.
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2.1.3.2. Canal+ Régie
Canal+ Régie, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canal+ Group, is the
exclusive advertising company. It sells advertising on the
Chaînes
Canal+
(unscrambled programs only), i>Télé, D8, D17, as well as on
their YouTube spin-offs. Canal+ Régie also operates eight special-
interest channels and the Group’s websites, including canalplus.fr. Since
January 2013, it has also been the exclusive advertising agency for UGC
cinemas. Its sales and marketing innovations provide Canal+ Group
with advertising revenues that have been increasing despite a difficult
economic environment.
