Canal+ has signed a five-year agreement with French cinema organisations to invest nearly €1 billion (about $1.1 billion) in French and European films between 2028 and 2032, a deal its chairman and chief executive, Maxime Saada, called "historic". The pact matters because it locks in long-term funding for the French film industry from its biggest broadcaster backer, at a time when the country's media financing rules are being contested by major streaming platforms and tensions have flared between Canal+ and parts of the industry.

The new commitment marks a significant rise from the previous three-year deal, under which Canal+ pledged €480 million for 2025-2027, and now also folds in obligations from OCS, the rival pay-TV group Canal+ acquired in 2023, which had separately committed at least €60 million for 2021-2023. Saada confirmed Canal+ would keep offering subscribers films six months after cinema release, preserving its position in France's media chronology system, even as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video challenge that system before the Council of State over the 17-month wait streamers face. The agreement follows a fraught period at Cannes, where an open letter criticising Canal+ shareholder Vincent Bolloré's influence, and accusing him of a fascist agenda, drew backing from thousands of professionals including Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, after Saada said the company would stop working with signatories.