Canal+ will “finalize” the acquisition of the OCS pay channel bouquet at the end of January

The Canal audiovisual group+ announced on Monday that he would “finalize by the end of January” the acquisition of OCS, the pay channel bouquet of the telecommunications operator Orange, after having obtained authorization under conditions from the Competition Authority.

At the same time as the channel package, the OCS film and series co-production subsidiary, Orange Studio, is also concerned. The operation “perpetuates the activities and jobs of OCS and Orange Studio”, or around 80 positions, assures Canal+ in a press release. The teams will be integrated at the beginning of February.

Preserve the French offer

Canal+ (Vivendi group) and Orange announced a memorandum of understanding a year ago for these acquisitions. The Competition Authority indicated on Friday that it had given its authorization, while “the Canal Plus Group has made commitments aimed in particular at preserving the diversity of the French cinematographic offering“. Canal+ argues that OCS, “whose quality of service and content is recognized, both by professionals in the sector and by subscribers”go “strengthen the group’s Cinema and Series offerings”.

And, with Orange Studio, “the Canal+ Group, already owner of the leading European film and television studio Studiocanal, is enriched with a catalog of 1,800 audiovisual and cinematographic works, including Oscar-winning films like The Artist Or The Fatheras well as 200 co-productions”. OCS, of which Canal+ already owns a third, has only accumulated losses since its creation in 2008.