Canal+ has agreed to invest more than $1 billion (€980 million) in French and European cinema over five years, in a new deal with France's BLOC group of film guilds and the director body ARP. The agreement, which begins in 2028 and covers Canal+ and CINÉ+ OCS, is described by the pay-TV giant as unprecedented in scale and duration, and comes as it seeks to reaffirm its commitment to France's "cultural exception" model of supporting cinema.

The deal renews a previous three-year accord under which Canal+ pledged €480 million to French and European films from 2025 to 2027, roughly doubling the annual commitment. It includes specific support for debut filmmakers, diversity and animated films, and so-called "films du milieu" (medium-budget mainstream productions), alongside a six-month media window that gives Canal+ early access to films under France's strict release chronology rules. The announcement follows months of industry unease over Vincent Bolloré's 30% stake in Canal+ via the Bolloré Group, with hundreds of artists signing a Cannes petition in May over fears for pluralism; both Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada and Bolloré Group CEO Cyrille Bolloré have denied any political interference.