Canal+ will roll out Sport+, a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, on October 9, 2026, accessible directly from the Canal+ app in France.

The service uses an advertising-funded model rather than a subscription fee, a different commercial structure from Canal+'s core pay-TV business.

How will Sport+ work?

The new platform sits inside the existing Canal+ application rather than launching as a standalone download. The Canal+ app already aggregates the group's paid subscription content alongside a number of third-party offerings, and adding Sport+ to that mix means users reach the free service without installing an additional application.

Sport+ targets mobile viewers. Canal+ confirmed the platform will feature a feed of vertical-format sports videos, the orientation used by short-form social platforms. The format choice points to short, on-the-go sessions rather than long-form match coverage.

Canal+ has not disclosed which sports the vertical feed will cover. The company has not announced launch partners, advertising inventory or projected audience figures either.

What does Canal+ say about the launch?

Two Canal+ executives have put their names to the rollout so far. Thomas Sénécal, Director of Sports at Canal+, told French daily La Figaro: "Sport+ will be the only app on the market offering so much content with sports rights. It's aimed at all audiences, whether they're subscribers or not."

Églantine Leclabart, Global Marketing Director for Canal+ Pay-TV, added: "This is a very strong demand from sports fans that no other offering on the market currently meets."

What is the commercial model?

The advertising-supported structure is the central commercial decision. By removing a subscription fee, Canal+ opens the service to anyone who already has the Canal+ app on their device, whether they pay for Canal+ Pay-TV or not. That group includes existing subscribers, lapsed users and consumers who downloaded the application for its third-party content.

The positioning as a mass-market product, rather than a niche add-on for current subscribers, runs through the executives' public comments. Both Sénécal and Leclabart emphasised reach and unmet demand in their La Figaro remarks.

What changes for the Canal+ app?

For the Canal+ application, Sport+ adds a free, sports-only destination to an interface that already mixes Canal+ originals, films, series and third-party channels. For non-subscribers, the platform removes the most common barrier to sampling the Canal+ ecosystem: the paywall.

Hosting the service inside the existing application, rather than as a separate download, also lets Canal+ place Sport+ alongside its paid tiers within a single interface.

What's next?

Canal+ has not confirmed whether Sport+ will launch outside France, and the company has not yet named advertising partners or set public performance targets. The first demand signal will come from viewing figures once the service goes live on October 9, with a fuller content line-up and commercial details expected in the weeks that follow.