Netflix chief Reed Hastings says he sees Canal+ and its Canalplay service as its greatest competitor in the French market.
In a Q&A with website Le JDD, Hastings says he remains pleased with the streaming service’s performance in France since its debut in the market last year.
“In France, our best enemy remains Canal+. We often had the opportunity to talk with Rodolphe Belmer whose departure surprised me. I am anxious to see the Molotov offer from Pierre Lescure (a platform of 80 streaming channels accessible via an intuitive navigation). But the more players, the more they talk about us.”
Hastings appeared uncomfortable with the current regulatory environment that prevents him from offering French-developed movies until 36 months after their theatrical release, adding that because Netflix doesn’t yet produce French-language movies it doesn’t benefit from subsidies.
However, Netflix is developing an original series for the French market, Marseille will launch next spring and Hastings said there was already being courted by directors and screenwriters for more.
