Disney has announced on Twitter that the launch of its new streaming service Disney+ will be postponed from 24 March to 07 April in France, in response to a request from the government. The decision follows pressure from the country's main network operators, which had already highlighted the need to manage internet bandwidth due to the Covid-19 lockdown measures.
Orange CEO Stephane Richard told Le Figaro that he had openly asked for a delay in the Disney+ launch. The new streaming service has yet to sign technical agreements with operators in terms of CDN management, and its OTT distribution model could increase the current risk of congestion.
Gregory Rabuel, in charge of SFR's telecom division, expressed a similar message in an interview with Les Echos, adding that talks with the government and the regulator are ongoing with regards to potential measures required to protect telecom networks and the delivery of essential online services.
In December, Disney announced an exclusive deal with Canal Plus, which makes the French broadcaster the sole point of distribution for other market players in the country, including the IPTV platforms of fixed broadband providers. According to the press, no distribution agreement has so far been reached on Disney+ between Canal Plus and the main network operators.
