Channel+ And Warner Bros. Discovery signed a new multi-year, multi-territory agreement to strengthen their partnership internationally, including expanding HBO Max to two more countries.
Thanks to the agreement, which the press release called an “important milestone” in the cooperation between the companies, distribution of HBO Max through Canal+ will be resumed in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, and will also expand to Belgium and Austria. Distribution will also be resumed on Cartoon Network, Cartoonito and CNN International in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Warner TV in the Czech Republic.
MultiChoice Group's Africa footprint will relaunch 12 WBD themed channels, including CNN International and Cartoon Network, Cartoon Network Porto, Cartoonito, Cartoonito Porto, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Real Time, ID, TLC, HGTV, Travel, TNT Africa and Food Network.
The agreement between WBD and the French media group builds on previous deals struck in 2024, including the extension of the exclusive pay TV window for Warner Bros. films. Pictures six months after their theatrical release in France and the integration of HBO Max into selected Canal+ group offerings.
It also comes during Netflix's upcoming purchase of WBD, which could further position Canal+ as a power player on the global stage as the company already has content distribution agreements with Netflix. December 16, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos makes a surprise appearancee at the Canal+ Group exhibition in Paris and assured the audience of his plans to purchase WBD.
“Our intentions when we acquire Warner Bros. will be to continue to release Warner Bros. studio films. in cinemas with traditional windows,” Sarandos said during a call with Canal+ Chairman and CEO Maxime Saada. “Then these films will go through the Canal+ production deal. That's very exciting for us.”
