Page 17 - 2012 Annual Report

VIVENDI l 2012 l Annual Report 17
GROUP PROFILE – BUSINESSES – LITIGATION – RISK FACTORS 1
1
SECTION 2 - BUSINESSES
CANAL+ GROUP
CanalSat consists of over 200 channels, including some produced and
broadcast by the group (the “+” channels) as well as channels from other
vendors (20 are offered exclusively). CanalSat is available on satellite,
ADSL and cable, as well as on DVB through the Minipack (which includes
five specialty channels and free national channels). CanalSat can also be
accessed via the Internet on a PC, with more than 100 direct broadcast or
on-demand channels, as well as via mobile phone using the CanalTouch
mobile TV application which provides access to more than 40 channels.
2.1.2.3. DISTRIBUTION ACTIVITIES
Canal+ Group distributes its offerings through specific subscriptions on
DVB, satellite, ADSL, fiber, cable (the Chaînes Canal+ only), mobile and the
Internet. ADSL offerings are also available in the form of prepaid cards.
Offerings are sold through group call centers and websites, in nearly 7,000
outlets by the group’s commercial partners (big-box stores, specialized
stores and telephone operator boutiques) and through Internet Service
Provider (ISP) distribution platforms.
Canal+ Group maintains an exclusive relationship with its customers,
from activation to termination. As of December 31, 2012, with 9.7 million
subscribers in metropolitan France, Canal+ Group has the largest
subscriber base for a Pay-TV offering.
Alongside its distribution business, Canal+ Group also markets some of its
specialty channels through third-party distributors, particularly the cable
operator Numericable and all the ISPs, which integrate them into their
own Pay-TV offerings.
Internationally, the group adapts its distribution strategy to the
specificities of each market.
2.1.2.4. NEW SERVICES
Canal+ Group is a digital pioneer and a pioneer of new television services
in Europe. It is a leader in television on-demand, high-definition and
multi-screen distribution.
HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION (HD TV)
Since 2011, the high definition (HD) offering has been a standard feature
in Canal+ and CanalSat offers, at no cost to the subscriber.
VOD AND CATCH-UP TV
Canal+ Group provides its subscribers with CanalPlay, a platform for legal
downloading of videos-on-demand (VoD); CanalPlay Infinity, an unlimited
VoD subscription service (SVoD); and Canal+ and CanalSat on-demand,
catch-up TV services.
All 9,000 CanalPlay titles are available without a subscription and on
different media (such as TVs, computers, smooth streaming, gaming
consoles and LG Blu-ray players), and since the summer of 2012, on
Samsung, LG and Panasonic connected TV sets.
The CanalPlay Infinity catalog is available through streaming, with no
commitment and independently of any subscription to Canal+ and/or
CanalSat. It has also been available on Microsoft Xbox 360 game consoles
since late January 2013 and is expected to be available on the group’s
satellite set-top boxes.
Canal+ and CanalSat on-demand services provide access, for a
limited period after their initial broadcast, to the content of more than
40 channels.
SET-TOP BOXES
In spring 2012, the group released a satellite HD set-top box targeted
to its DVB subscribers that allows them to access its services directly
on their television. Since late 2012, satellite set-top boxes have been
equipped with a start-over feature (which allows the viewer to return to
the beginning of a film while it is being broadcast); a new version of the
Eureka recommendation engine and an innovative program guide.
Canal+ Group is gradually replacing its fleet of satellite set-top boxes with
Internet-connectable HD satellite set-top boxes so that its subscribers can
benefit from related services: at year-end of 2012, more than 90% of its
subscribers were equipped with one and 30% were connected.
MOBILE AND WEB TV OFFERS
Canal+ Group offers its subscribers using mobile devices having 3G or
Wi-Fi connections (smartphones and tablet computers) access to Canal+
and CanalSat channels, as well as related catch-up TV services via the
CanalTouch application (available on Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
and other operating systems such as Android and Windows 8).
ACCESS VIA GAME CONSOLES
All Canal+ Group offers and services, live and on-demand, are available on
the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console, including CanalPlay Infinity since
early 2013.
AVAILABILITY ON CONNECTED TV SETS
CanalPlay is available on connected TV sets. The group aims to have
its content available on all screens, while ensuring, in addition, signal
integrity protection. In furtherance of this goal, in December 2010,
together with all French broadcasters, it signed the Connected Television
Charter and supports the HbbTV standard. Lastly, it plans to expand its
presence to all connected televisions with its 24-hour news channel,
i>Télé.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CUSTOMIZED TV
Euréka is the first customized recommendation engine in the world.
Created by Canal+ Group, it identifies subscriber consumption habits and
offers content that matches their preferences. Its research will soon be
extended to on-demand content.
Canal+ Group also pioneered a new channel format, unprecedented
in France, whose programming is customizable by subscribers.
“Mon Nickelodeon Junior” is aimed at children and “M6Music Player” at
music lovers.