News JVTech OCS: we finally know who bought Orange pay TV! What future for HBO series (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones, etc.)?
Published on 09/01/2023 at 10:20
The OCS channel package has just formalized its takeover by Canal+, after very long months of negotiation. A decision that comes shortly after the end of the partnership between OCS and HBO.
For the past few weeks, the OCS channel package has been talked about a lot because of the cleaning carried out within its catalog. Indeed, the termination of the partnership between the French platform and the American service HBO led to the removal of many famous series from its offer, in particular Game of Thrones et Westworld just to name a few. For now, it was Amazon Prime Video that picked up a large number of new HBO releasesincluding Peacemaker and DMZ.
This major melting of its catalog has contributed to put OCS in turmoil. But this was not the only concern of this platform, which was never profitable. According to Les Echos, OCS now has about 3 million subscribers and turns out to be “in debt and at a loss”. The platform would have accumulated “between 400 million and 500 million euros in losses since its launch”, indicates the media.
For long months, rumors suggested that Canal+ was interested in acquiring OCSand this information is now official: it was even recorded by both parties on Monday morning.
Canal+ finally buys OCS
In a press release published on Monday, January 9, Canal+ and OCS announce “the signing of a memorandum of understanding”. “Canal+ will become the sole shareholder of the two companies at the end of this transaction”, underlines the press release. The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed, but according to Les Échos, it is OCS that would pay money here to Canal+ because of its complicated financial situation. The amount paid would be “less than 100 million euros” and would not be in the form of a “dry check” payable to Canal+.
In total, the discussions would have run over almost two yearsand it’s a safe bet that OCS’ current weak position has enabled Canal+ to speed up negotiations. However, the French group will have a lot to do to stop the financial haemorrhage of its new bouquet of pay channels.
What future for OCS (and HBO series)?
As much to say it right away: this takeover should not change anything about the absence of the majority of HBO series on OCS. Only a handful of HBO programs currently remain available on OCS, including House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones spin-off to which OCS still owns the broadcast rights. There is very little chance of seeing The Last of Us on this channel package in the coming months.
Canal+ already offered OCS in some of its subscription formulas before this acquisition and it is possible that this offer will be strengthened in the future. As for what awaits the historical subscribers of OCS, for the moment, the question is open. We imagine that Canal + will continue to offer the subscription to the unitbut the offer could still change in the future.
