PARIS — Walt Disney Co will launch its Disney+ streaming service on Vivendi SA's pay-TV business Canal+ platform by the end of March next year, executives of the two groups said in a joint interview released in the daily Les Echos on Sunday. Traditional media companies like Canal+ are under pressure to find ways to bulk up their content as they face competition from deep-pocketed online streaming platforms such as Netflix Inc and newcomers in the sports rights business such as Chinese-owned Mediapro. "This exclusive partnership is a new major step in the transformation of the Canal+ model," said the French broadcaster's chief executive, Maxime Saada. Saada declined to say how much Canal+ would charge for Disney+. Kevin Mayer, who heads Disney's Direct-to-consumer & International business, confirmed the U.S. group hoped to acquire 60 million to 90 million customers by 2024.

Source: International New York Times December 15, 2019 22:41 UTC