From January 2025, Canal+ subscribers will no longer have access to Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars content, marking the end of an exclusive partnership.
This is important news for Canal+ subscribers. From January 1, 2025, they will no longer have access to Disney content, whether films, the Disney+ platform or television channels from the Disney universe.
This change results from the non-renewal of the exclusive agreement which has linked Canal+ and Disney since the end of 2019. This contract, which expires in December 2024, allowed Canal+ to offer Disney+ in some of its offers, such as Canal+ Ciné Séries , and to broadcast Disney productions (films and series) as a priority, including popular franchises like Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. So farewell to Nemo, Ratatouille and others.
An offer reshaped by the media chronology
This partnership, in place for five years, favored Canal+ by granting it the first broadcast window for Disney films six months after their theatrical release, according to the rules of media chronology in France.
However, with the end of this agreement, subscribers will now have to wait 17 months to see these films via Canal+. Disney is therefore banking on its Disney+ platform, which will remain accessible directly via certain internet boxes or the brand's official website, to attract new subscribers.
A rupture motivated by strategic and financial issues
This decision comes in a rapidly changing market context, marked by the rise of new streaming platforms and by strategic issues for Disney, which wishes to strengthen the autonomy of Disney+ in Europe.
At the same time, Canal+, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary and preparing an IPO as part of the split from Vivendi, did not wish to immediately comment on this breakup. For Disney, this development would make it possible to increase its subscriber base by leveraging the diversity of its catalog, without depending on third-party operators like Canal+.
The consequences for users
For Canal+ subscribers, this end of the agreement represents a notable loss, particularly for those who appreciated the ease of access to Disney content via their subscription. From now on, access to Disney films and series will require a separate Disney+ subscription.
This change could push subscribers to reconsider their options for accessing productions from one of the most iconic studios in today's film industry.
