Canal+ has extended its European reach via launches in Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and most recently the Netherlands, including sports coverage.
The French broadcaster has secured a strong foothold in the country as a distributor of football content, aggregating ESPN coverage of the Dutch Eredivisie top-flight in the country.
Jacques du Poy, CEO of Canal+ International, said: “I am very pleased with the launch of our platform in the Netherlands, which will help us further strengthen the position of Canal+ in the European market.
“It is a dynamic market that offers us new opportunities. With our learnings from other territories and strong relationships with content-providers and major stakeholders, we’re confident to bring something new to the Dutch audience, bringing together the best of linear channels, sport, films and series.”
Canal+ is an active player in the international sports broadcasting space via its Canal+ Sport division, serving various markets in France, Africa and Asia, and makes its return to the Netherlands after an 18-year absence.
Coverage of the Netherlands’ top-flight football league further complements the group’s existing sports broadcasting portfolio, which consists of domestic rights to French Ligue 1 and international Premier League rights.
The company is a distributor of the Premier League in various countries in both Europe and French-speaking Africa, with the former market including France, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland.
