Canal+ has committed almost R19bn to invest in French films while working to improve its relationship with creatives in that country. The European broadcaster that recently took over MultiChoice continues to nurse its relationship with France’s creative sector after tension and concerns raised over the broadcaster’s largest shareholder, Vincent Bolloré.Industry players said the group’s editorial strategy has been shifting toward a right-wing agenda under the billionaire’s watch.The tension culminated in an open letter signed by thousands of industry professionals. In response, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada sparked a massive backlash in May when he suggested the group would refuse to finance films made by those who had signed the petition. This week, Canal+ said it had signed an “unprecedented” five-year agreement with major cinema guilds in France, including BLIC, BLOC and ARP. Beginning in 2028, the London- and JSE-listed group will invest €980m into French and European cinema.“Given its scale, duration and the commitments it entails, this agreement between a broadcaster and the film industry is unprecedented,” the group said on Tuesday. The funding is structured to support the broader ecosystem, including debut films and new styles of filmmaking, mid-budget films that are considered vital for the industry’s economic stability, and targeted support for animated features and diverse productions.The company said the spend is aimed at “sustainably preserving cinema’s place at the heart of the French cultural model”.The commitment, at nearly €200m annually, will help to restore a level of stability after the industry panicked about recent budget cuts. According to France’s National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), production in the country dipped in 2025 due to a number of factors, including reduced spend from Canal+, which is regarded as the largest investor for local film in the country.The film regulator reported total investment in approved films stood at €1.37bn in the year, down 4.8%, due to a decline in French investment to €1.08bn, despite having foreign investment since 2012 of €294.3m. Canal+ had reduced its 2025-2027 allocation to €480m from €600m in 2022-2024.In exchange for carrying a large part of the financial bill for France’s industry, the group is allowed to stream and broadcast films six months after their theatrical release, giving it a big advantage over rivals such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney that have to wait at least nine months to do the same. These rivals have been actively challenging French investment mandates and pushing for shorter windows to have content placed on their platforms. Saada said in a statement: “I am delighted with this new agreement, which highlights the longstanding ties between Canal+ and cinema. By investing a record amount of nearly €1bn over an unprecedented five-year term, we are proud to reaffirm our support for cinema, its power, creativity and diversity.“The very best of cinema is on Canal+ only six months after its theatrical release and will remain so for many years to come.”This comes as MultiChoice has earmarked a R21bn budget for local productions over the next three years in South Africa. The DStv operator prides itself on having the largest local content library on the African continent. Business Day