Canal+ and French Film

by Alex Goldman

Now that television has switched over from primarily ad-driven sponsorship to pay-per-view sponsorship, there is an increase in a new kind of TV viewer; one that does not care to sit through ads, and craves smarter, more personalized content. “…television audiences, particularly pay-TV audiences, have become increasingly complex and fragmented, demanding greater choice and control over the types of programmes they watch…As thematic channels have increased their market appeal, many digital operators appear to accommodate them in their digital offering” (Papathanassopoulous, 153). With the start of HBO in the United States, followed by the popularity of French network Canal Plus, edgier content, independent films, and backstage access have helped to revive the U.S. and European television landscape. Like the launch of HBO did for the U.S. in 1972, Canal Plus raised expectations for French television and brought the French film industry to new heights with generous financial support since its beginning 12 years later.

Canal +'s Love Me if You Dare, 2003