Canal+ launches drama streamer

Canal+ drama Versailles is set during the reign of King Louis XIV

French pay TV operator Canal+ has launched its drama-focused streaming service, offering access to imported shows such as Killing Eve and Gomorrah as well as original series like Versailles and Spiral.

Existing Canal+ subscribers can access Canal+ Séries for an additional €6.99 (US$7.87) a month for the most basic package, less than the €7.99 Netflix charges French users for its entry-level subscription.

Imported dramas such as Deadly Class from Syfy in the US will be launched in France via the service, as will original shows from Canal+, known as Créations Originales.

The move comes as recent figures suggest Netflix now has more than five million customers in France, overtaking Canal+’s subscriber numbers.

Vivendi-owned Canal+ previously launched OTT service CanalPlay in 2011, but the service was shuttered amid regulatory issues.

Forthcoming shows such as FX’s What We Do in the Shadows and StudioCanal’s The Lawyer are also being made available alongside boxsets of series including The Americans, Sons of Anarchy, 24, Dexter and The X-Files.

“Canal+ Séries marks a new stage in the transformation of our offers which we began two years ago to respond the changing habits of the public,” said Canal+ Group CEO Maxime Saada.