Three candidates for the two terrestrial pay-TV channels have presented their plans to the media regulator CSA. They are Canal+, TV Numeric and the French football league LPF.
The licences for the two channel have become available after two pay-TV broadcasters have handed back their licences to the CSA: Groupe AB’s AB1 in October 2008 and Lagardere Interactive Canal J in April 2009.
Canal+ has also applied for a licence for its Canal+ Family channel. At the moment, Canal+ has its main Canal+ channel available on digital terrestrial in both SD and HD versions, as well as the Canal+ Sport channel.
TV Numeric is also a candidate; the company already offers a number of premium channels over the DTT network and now wants to expand its offer with push-VOD services. Their current bouquet comprises Paris-Première, TF6, Planète, LCI and Eurosport and is believed to have less than 100,000 subscribers.
The French football league Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has taken up the idea to launch its own live football channel after pay-TV operator Orange decided to abandon the premium TV business as a content provider. At this moment, the matches of the LFP are divided between Canal+ and Orange Sport.
See also earlier coverage in Broadband TV News.
