“I missed the match of the century”: the anger of certain Canal + subscribers deprived of PSG-Bayern

The first leg of the Champions League semi-final was broadcast on Canal + Foot, a channel which does not appear in all subscriber offers. “Online delays” prevented last minute subscriptions.

Wednesday morning blues. Even bloodshed. By consulting the press of the day or chatting at the coffee machine the day after PSG-Bayern (5-4) in the Champions League semi-final, some Canal + subscribers found it difficult to put aside this terribly frustrating feeling: “I missed the match of the century. » Although paying around thirty euros per month, some of them were not able to see the shower of acrobatic goals signed Dembele, Olise and others.

Reason: the meeting was broadcast on Canal + Foot, the thematic sub-channel of the Canal group which costs on average around five additional euros per month. Realizing their inability to watch the flagship match despite their traditional subscription, loyal customers of the encrypted channel tried to click on the “get” box on their platform to urgently subscribe to the Football option, but… “impossible to access it, it was buggy,” notes this Essonnienne, a little disappointed. A situation that we were also able to observe on our side.

2.9 million viewers

Contacted, the management of the Canal + group refused to make any comments this Wednesday morning, delighted, perhaps, to celebrate stratospheric audiences: 2.9 million spectators were gathered on Canal + Foot, according to Médiamétrie. Which made this thematic mini-channel the most viewed channel in France on Wednesday evening ahead of the behemoths TF 1, France 2 or M 6. As for the main showcase of Canal +, it posted a starving score of… 121,000 spectators with Yann Gozlan’s thriller “Dalloway”, or 0.7% of the public.

The impossibility of being able to subscribe just before kick-off? Simple “online delays” which were “resolved by customer service”, according to our information. This is not the first time that this mishap has happened to football fans. For years, Canal + has chosen to separate its football offering in a somewhat esoteric way for the uninitiated. This is the case for Ligue 1 where certain matches are available on the main channel, notably the Sunday evening poster, others on the thematic little sister.

“Before, the Champions League was accessible free of charge on TF 1”

This also applies to Champions League matches, from the group stages in the fall to the decisive matches of the final rounds in the spring. Tuesday arm wrestling? They are broadcast on Canal + Foot. Those on Wednesday? On Canal + at all. A little painless gymnastics for holders of a “full” subscription, but particularly irritating for others.

“I find myself with an old stream (pirate viewing on the Internet) while I have Canal +,” grumbled this subscriber on Tuesday evening, who vented his rage on the social network We’re talking about a Champions League semi-final there,” squeaks this other internet user. “This is not normal,” says Christophe on the same social network. Canal wants to make money but there are limits! » “We could have made an exception since a French club is in the semis,” sighs James.

An assumed commercial strategy for the channel which takes millions out of its portfolio each year to afford the rights to European football. For the return match, Canal + subscribers will smile again: organized on Wednesday (May 5), the meeting will be accessible whatever its offer…