The new Paramount+ streaming platform has been available in France since December 1, 2022. On the program: very diverse content for a reasonable price. In addition, it is free with Canal+!
After months of waiting, French viewers can finally enjoy Paramount+, the legendary American studio’s platform, since December 1, 2022. And the good news is that the operator Orange is offering it to its TV subscribers on the channel 69 of its decoders with two months free! Then, you will have to pay € 7.99 per month to take advantage of it. This offer is valid from December 1 to May 31, 2023 for all customers who have not subscribed to Paramount+ in the past 12 months. Those who already have an account will of course be able to connect to it with their usual identifiers on the Orange box.
For now, Free, Bouygues Telecom and SFR have remained silent about the presence of Paramount+ on their decoder. On the other hand, Canal+ had already announced to distribute the platform. A major decision for the French channel, which has seen its catalog expand with numerous productions, including the series based on the video game of the same name Halo, broadcast on Canal+ until the opening of Paramount+ in France. The new platform therefore integrates the Ciné-Séries and Friends & Family offers at no additional cost. All of its content can be viewed directly on myCANAL and on the channel. In addition, this agreement also allows Canal+ to broadcast Paramount films first in France, with an exclusivity period only six months after their release, in accordance with the new media chronology. Subscribers will thus be able to enjoy highly anticipated blockbusters, such as Top Gun Maverick, which will be broadcast from December 22 on CANAL+. The platform will be accessible on the Internet, mobile devices and connected television (Samsung TV) as well as through the TV services of Apple, Amazon, Google TV and Roku.
Paramount+: international ambitions
The new platform, even if it has to fit into an already busy sector – Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, OCS/HBO, AppleTV+, Universal+… – has some major advantages for it. As Paramount Streaming CEO Tom Ryan states, Paramount+ “it’sis a mountain of fun for the whole family, the only service where you’ll see Sylvester Stallone, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Trek and South Park all in one place, and it all makes Paramount+ what a streaming service is supposed to be“. Indeed, the platform offers a very diversified content, with in particular CBS series (Experts, Magnum), MTV (Jackass, 17 years old and Mom), Comedy Central (South Park), Nickelodeon (Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer, Avatar: The Last Airbender), Showtime(Billions, Yellowjackets, Homeland, Dexter), as well as famous studio films and franchises such as Mission Impossible, Top Gun Where Transformers, Star Trek or Without a sound. Approximately 9,000 hours of programs are planned.
But that’s not all, because Paramount+ also relies on the location to seduce its audience. Like its competitor Netflix, the American platform has decided to invest in local programs in order to adapt to the tastes of subscribers in each country. Even before its UK launch, the studio had already ordered 20 programs. Similarly, France will have the right to its content, with Marie Antoinette Serial Killer, a series mixing thriller and horror. Furthermore, the projects The Signal and Impact have been announced in the press release, where Paramount announces its ambition to develop 150 exclusive international original content by 2025. Access to the catalog will be on desktop via a web browser or through the mobile application for iOS and Android. It will also be possible to view the platform’s content on a connected television (smart TV) and on certain game consoles.
Paramount+: streaming at a reasonable price
Thanks to its partnership with the broadcaster Canal+, subscribers to the Ciné Séries packages, which cost 34.99 euros/month (with two years of commitment) or 40.99 euros/month (without commitment), will benefit from unlimited access to the platform. Otherwise, it is possible to subscribe directly to the platform for a price which will most certainly be the same as in Ireland, namely €7.99 per month or €79.90 per year. This is a positioning quite close to that of Disney++, with a monthly price below €10, and therefore lower than that of Netflix, which will allow it to be attractive. On the other hand, its free trial period is only 7 days, unlike some of its competitors who offer a month. In any case, it’s always positive to see a new streaming service arrive and offer a more personalized choice to the viewer.