Investment: One Billion Euros in French Cinema

Canal+ will remain the main financier of French cinema after signing a new agreement with industry organizations under which it commits to investing 980 million euros between 2028 and 2032, according to Le Figaro. The group's CEO, Maxime Saada, described the agreement as "a new historic agreement." The agreement comes a few weeks after the controversy that erupted during the Cannes Film Festival, when Maxime Saada declared that the group no longer wanted to finance films made by the signatories of an opinion piece denouncing the growing influence of the far right in French cinema. The text targeted billionaire Vincent Bollore, the main shareholder of Canal+. Saada later rejected accusations of a "blacklist" following critical reactions from the industry.

• Access to films six months after theatrical release

According to the Canal+ press release, the new agreement will allow the group to offer subscribers the most important French, European and international productions six months after their theatrical release. Maxime Saada stated that Canal+ remains "the first partner of French and European cinema”, emphasizing that the group has been supporting and financing film production for over four decades. The company is involved in all stages of the cinema chain, from pre-financing productions to distribution and theatrical release. In this context, Canal+ acquired 34% of the capital of the UGC network in September, intending to take full control of it from 2028.

• Increasing investments and maintaining the advantage in the "media timeline”

Although the annual distribution of 980 million euros was not made public, the total value represents an increase compared to previous commitments. Canal+ has already committed to investing euro160 million in 2026 and euro170 million in 2027, after allocating euro150 million in 2025, down from around euro220 million invested in previous years. Negotiations in 2025 were marked by tensions, as Canal+ threatened to reduce its investment in response to Disney+'s expansion into the French cinema market. The American platform obtained the right to release films nine months after their theatrical release, compared to the previous 17 months, in exchange for a commitment to invest 25% of its net turnover in France annually and to finance at least 70 films over a three-year period. With the new agreement, Canal+ maintains its top position in the so-called "media chronology”, the calendar that establishes the order and timing of films on different platforms. The company says the new agreement, which it describes as unprecedented in scope and duration, reaffirms its commitment to the diversity of filmmaking, the plurality of artistic perspectives and the promotion of new talent. After the Cannes controversy, Maxime Saada had stated that, in addition to artistic and commercial criteria, the group also analyzes the "attitude” of the people involved in film projects towards Canal+, but such a measure does not appear in the agreement announced on Monday. "We are very proud to reaffirm our support for the art of cinema, for its creativity and diversity,” said Maxime Saada. For his part, the director of Canal+ France, Gerald-Brice Viret, stressed that the group is proud to have supported iconic films of French cinema over time, such as La Haine, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain, Intouchables, Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, Les Trois Mousquetaires, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo and Un p'tit truc en plus.