news hardware Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, OCS: what future for streaming platforms in France?
Several announcements have been made around streaming platforms in recent weeks. Some are not necessarily very encouraging about the future of SVOD services: one wonders what awaits French users in 2023 in terms of Disney +, OCS, Amazon Prime Video or Salto.
summary
- HBO releases OCS: The Last of Us on Amazon Prime Video?
- Paramount+ is about to arrive in France
- Lionsgate+ (StarzPlay) has announced its closure in France
- After Netflix, Disney+ is preparing its offer with advertising
- Somersault could close very quickly
If you follow the news from SVOD platforms a little, you will not have missed it This market is currently changing. But this is due to various considerations they are essentially financial : Like so many companies around the world, Netflix, Disney+, HBO, and many others are struggling with declining sales, not-so-performing stock markets, and underperforming user recruitment.
Given this general observation, one may wonder what the French landscape will look like in terms of SVOD in 2023. It’s time to take stock to try and get an idea of the question.
HBO releases OCS: The Last of Us on Amazon Prime Video?
Historically, HBO series are broadcast in France on the OCS streaming platform. However, the contract between the two groups ends at the end of 2022. HBO was expected to take over via its own HBO Max platform, which should arrive in France in 2023. Only, Last August, it was confirmed that the service would not be launched in Europe. It is even doomed to disappear in 2024.
This situation has inevitably raised questions about the future of HBO programming in France. We thought at first that OCS could keep control of the American’s catalogue, but that won’t be the case: HBO announced in October that it had signed a temporary partnership with Amazon Prime Video. Amazon’s SVOD platform will specifically air the series peacemaker, DMZ etc Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
The Last of Us is an HBO series.
We can imagine that the first season of the adaptation of The last of us but will also be available on Amazon Prime Video next January this information is yet to be confirmed.
Paramount+ is about to arrive in France
From December 1, 2022, a new streaming platform lands in France : This is Paramount+. Originally called CBS All Access, it concentrates a large part of the American studio’s catalogue. But that’s not all: there are also shows from Showtime, CBS, Comedy Central and even MTV. This should allow Star Trek fans in particular to enjoy the entire license in one place.at a price of around 7.99 dollars per month.
Lionsgate+ (StarzPlay) has announced its closure in France
It’s not the most well-known streaming platform, and this might be the problem: At the beginning of the school year, StarzPlay changed its name to Lionsgate+ and attempted a publicity stunt to highlight his proposal, which consisted of new series like The Snake Queen, gas lit, rule the world or Gangs of London. But it was only weeks before Lionsgate+ announced its intention to close in France. When ? We don’t know yet, but it could be ready by the end of 2022.
After Netflix, Disney+ is preparing its offer with advertising
at Netflix, “The Netflix Essential subscription with advertising has been available in France since November 3rd. It offers access to a large part of the streaming catalog for 5.99 dollars and charges several minutes of advertising per hour. Some series, like breaking Bad for example, are not accessible with this subscription.
On the Disney+ side, the offer will debut in the United States with advertising on December 8th. In practice, customers with a $7.99 per month subscription will see ads and to remove them they will have to switch to the $10.99 per month offer.
Disney+ hasn’t had a free trial for a long time.
In France, this subscription with advertising is not dated for the time being. But the recent announcement of very substantial operating losses for the service, which jumped from $800 million to $1.47 billion in a year, could motivate Disney+ to accelerate its pricing action. We can therefore very quickly expect an increase in the prices of Disney + and the arrival of the offer with advertising in France.
Somersault could close very quickly
Finally, The streaming video platform Salto is threatened with closure. France TV, TF1 and M6, Salto’s three shareholders, are obviously fed up with funding this French SVOD service at a loss and may decide to shut down by the end of 2022. The answer should come in late November or early December.
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