PARIS (The Hollywood Reporter) — Upholding a decision by France’s competition watchdog in March, a French court of appeal is allowing the Canal Plus group to link its premium channel along with its multichannel CanalSat satellite platform offering in a single subscription package, the pay TV company said.
The ruling resolves a decade-long legal wrangle initiated by rival satellite platform TPS, which is owned 66% and 34% by commercial broadcasters TF1 and M6, respectively. The appeals court said Canal Plus cannot be prevented from offering its channels in one package simply because it was the dominant player in the French pay TV market.
The court also dismissed a claim against Canal Plus that it had tried to evict its sole competitor out of the market by proposing a more attractive offer to its subscribers.
Canal Plus welcomed the decision, saying consumers would stand to gain the most from the court ruling. Subscribers would have access to all Canal Plus services through one set-top box and a single subscription once the offer is launched in the market, a spokesman for the company said.
