Apple TV+ has struck a multi-year deal with pay-TV provider Canal+ to bring its content to subscribers in France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Canal+ customers will be able to access all of Apple TV+’s movies and series without an additional subscription or app from their set-top box. While the deal is aimed at increasing the profile of Apple TV+ in Europe, the company’s content boss said the number of subscribers in France is already “good”. Apple TV+ has never published specific subscriber numbers since its launch almost four years ago.
The deal covers some of the first European productions by Apple, including Liaison and Drops of God. Apple TV+ is unusual in the streaming market as almost all of its content is in-house productions or exclusive purchases, resulting in a smaller range than many of its rivals. However, Apple has been investing billions in expanding its content business and has recently started securing major sports broadcasting deals.
Canal+ has a long-time partnership with Apple, which includes selling the Apple TV set-top box, and is one of a select number of companies able to sell content directly from the app without using Apple’s mandatory in-app purchasing interface. The partnership with Canal+ is a boost for Apple TV+’s European audience and marks something of a departure for the company’s usual strategy.
