Canal+ is struggling to maintain subscriber numbers, as churn among its French pay-TV base nudged 15%.
In the three months to September 2015 the number of subscribers fell by 38,000. In the same period in 2014 numbers reduced by just 6,000. Looking at the level of churn, which has increased from 14.2% to 14.9% over the last 12 months, its clear the problem isn’t so much bringing in new subscribers, but holding on to the existing ones.
Some media observers point to the arrival of French industrialist Vincent Bolloré at the helm of the pay-TV broadcaster.
Officially, owners Vivendi are describing the market as a “particularly difficult economic and competitive environment”. It says measures have already been taken to address the situation, including the investment in exclusive content. Canal is also looking to bring in a more international perspective into its activities through the video portal Dailymotion.
Canal+ Group’s International operations, in particular those in Africa, have continued to sustain its activities. International pay-TV revenues were up 7.6% compared to the first nine months of 2014. Canal+ Group’s revenues amounted to €4,034 million, a 1.7% increase.
Canal+ Group had a total of 15.4 million subscriptions, a year-on-year increase of 619,000, driven by the strong performance of Canal+ in Africa and Vietnam.
