Canal+ testing new OTT version of service

Canal+ has been quietly testing a new over-the-top (OTT) version of its service for the past few weeks, initially among a user base of about 10,000 customers that is set to expand to 40,000 this month, according to a report by BFM Business.

Canal+’s bouquet of channels is available on the internet at the same price as its regular pay TV service. Users can access the channels via Le Cube box connected to the internet.

According to BFM Business the service is aimed primarily at those ADSL customers who can’t receive IPTV packages from one of the country’s ISPs, but it will also be available to internet users that don’t want to sign up for a full package from one of the country’s multi-play providers.

According to the business news service, Canal+ is also keen to provide an alternative mode of distribution to target the 450,000 subscribers to its digital-terrestrial service. These customers could be lost if three of the five channels currently available – LCI, Paris Premiere and Planete+ – win approval to migrate to free-to-air.

Canal+ has emphasised that it will continue to provide its services over the existing IPTV platforms offered by the ISPs, and that this service is intended to be complementary.