Canal+ (satellite provider)

## Canal+

**Canal+** is French satellite operator owned by Groupe Canal+.

The commitment initially launched under the name **Canalsatellite** in analogue version on November 14, 1992, then in digital on April 27, 1996. During the year 2006, **Canalsat** absorbs its competitor direct TPS and the two offers merge under the name **Nouveau Canalsat** in the framework of a commercial and enterprise agreement. In 2007, **Canalsat** is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which is controlled by **Vivendi** and operates the **Astra** satellites at 19.2 degrees East for broadcast. Groupe Canal+ controls **Canal+ France**, which benefits from the TPS/**Canalsat** merger that took place in 2008. This merger was questioned in 2011 by the competition authority but was confirmed in December 2012 by the **Conseil d'État**. On November 15, 2016, to reflect a new strategy - in particular the marketing of offers - **Canalsat** becomes **Canal** and merges with the **Les Chaînes Canal+**offer. The brand is still **Canalsat** in Switzerland.

## History

In 1992, **Canal+** was founded, as **CanalSatellite**, and the shareholders were Groupe Canal+ (66 percent) and Lagardère Active (34 percent), a subsidiary of Lagardère.

On 27 April 1996, **CanalSatellite** launched as a digital satellite platform, which was the first in Europe.

An inside account of the rise of Canal+ and establishment of **CanalSatellite** as a major satellite TV provider in Europe is given in the book **High Above**, which tells the story of the foundation and development of the leading European satellite operator, **SES Astra**.

In 15 November 2016, **Canalsat** was rebranded as **Canal**.

In 1 August 2019, **Canal** was rebranded as **Canal+**.

### Channel history

#### Canal Satellite analogique

The bouquet in 1992 is composed of the channels edited by the two co-owners of the bouquet: Ellipse Câble, a subsidiary of Canal+ and Europe 1 Communication:

* In shared channel as on the cable
	+ Canal J: children's channel (Europe 1 Communication)
	+ Canal Jimmy: generational channel devoted to the 1960s and 1970s (Ellipse Câble)
	+ CinéCinéfil: movie channel devoted to classic movies from 1930s and 1960s (Ellipse Câble)
	+ CinéCinémas: movie channel (Ellipse Câble)
	+ MCM: music channel (Europe 1 Communication)
	+ Planète Câble: documentary channel (Ellipse Câble)
	+ TV Sport: sports channel (Ellipse Câble)

When it was launched, the bouquet without movie channels cost **FRF 105**, against **FRF 155** with movie theaters. Later, the bouquet without theaters will cost **FRF 136**, compared with FRF 186 with movie theaters.

then arrived:

* Paris Première (**Lyonnaise des Eaux**) in 1993
* LCI: first French news channel (Groupe TF1) in 1995
* Monte-Carlo TMC: Monégasque family-oriented general interest channel (Ellipse Câble) in 1995
* La Chaîne Météo: channel broadcasts weather forecasts in 1995

**Canal Satellite** proposes a digital enriched bouquet on the **Astra** satellite as from April 27, 1996 in parallel with the analogue bouquet which is definitively abandoned on September 30, 1998.

* Festival
* France Supervision
* La Cinquième
* France 3 Sat

#### Canalsatellite numérique

April 27, 1996 marks the real commercial start of **Canalsatellite**: the analogue gives way to digital and the bouquet then has more channels, always present:

* Canal J, children's channel from Lagardère Active
* Canal Jimmy becomes Jimmy, channel devoted to series
* CinéCinémas becomes Ciné+ Premier, movie channel
* CinéCinéfil becomes Ciné+ Classic, classic movie channel
* Eurosport France, sports channel in all genres from Groupe TF1, co-held at the time with Canal+
* LCI, first French news channel from Groupe TF1
* MCM, music channel from Lagardère Active
* Monte Carlo TMC becomes TMC, Monegasque generalist channel controlled at the time by Multithématiques.
* Mezzo (formerly Muzzik merged with Mezzo in 2002), jazz and classical music channel from Lagardère Active
* Paris Première, general interest channel from **Lyonnaise des Eaux** acquired in 2004 from Groupe M6
* Planète becomes Planète+, documentary channel
* **Canal 38** intended to broadcast consumer classifieds in a program called **CTV**.

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