Canal+ is looking to purchase the Starz and its Starzplay platform from the US studio Lionsgate.
Both are for sale and the Vivendi-owned platform want to use them as the latest steps on its acquisition trail. It believes US premium channel Starz and Starzplay, which broadcasts across the Middle East, could further grow its 23 million subscribers.
However, according to Les Echos, Canal is also after a “a significant but minority stake” in Lionsgate itself, which would enable it to obtain a foothold in the US content market.
At the same time Canal would be able to create its own distribution channel that would be less dependent on other studios or channels which also offer platforms which themselves have tens of millions of users.
