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OCS (TV network)

From Alfawiki
OCS
Company typeSubscription television network
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
FoundedNovember 2008; 18 years ago (2008-11)
FounderOrange S.A.
FateAcquired by Groupe Canal+
Headquarters
France
Area served
France, Switzerland
ProductsTelevision channels, streaming platform
ParentGroupe Canal+

OCS, previously known as Orange Cinéma Séries, is a French subscription television network specializing in movies and television series. Established in November 2008 by Orange S.A. and subsequently acquired by Groupe Canal+, OCS originally functioned as an exclusive offering on Orange TV's direct-to-home satellite platform.

The OCS brand includes three distinct channels along with a streaming platform, delivering the majority of its series in English with French subtitles concurrently with their U.S. broadcasts, complemented by dubbed versions and French-made productions. Between 2008 and 2022, OCS maintained exclusive rights to HBO content within France.

Starting in 2012, OCS broadened its availability beyond Orange TV, extending distribution to providers such as Bouygues Telecom, CanalSat, Numericable, SFR, and Tahiti Nui Satellite, supporting access across multiple devices. After its 2024 acquisition by Groupe Canal+, OCS continues to enhance its presence in the market.

History

In April 2008, Orange S.A. (which rebranded simply as Orange in 2013) revealed plans to launch Orange Cinéma Séries, a direct-to-home satellite pay-TV movie service comprising six channels exclusively for Orange subscribers. The company secured exclusive agreements with leading studios including Warner Bros., HBO, Gaumont, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

By October 2008, Orange announced the subscription service would debut on November 13, featuring five premium movie channels: Orange Cinemax (HD blockbusters), Orange Cinéhappy (family-oriented films), Orange Cinéchoc (action genres), Orange Cinénovo (independent and arthouse cinema), and Orange Cinegeants (classic films). HBO content was part of the lineup from the outset.

The official rollout took place in November 2008, with these five channels forming the foundation of the Orange Cinema Series package.

Proposed merger with Canal+

In September 2010, France Telecom initiated negotiations with Groupe Canal+, proprietor of CinéCinema and TPS Star channels, aimed at merging Orange’s Orange Cinema Series with Canal+’s general entertainment channel TPS Star to create a premium pay-TV offering.

On January 20, 2011, France Telecom and Canal+ declared their intention to establish a partnership combining Orange Cinema Series and TPS Star into a new premium channel named Orange Cine Star, which would be distributed through Orange’s platforms and CanalSat, potentially extending availability to other French telecommunications operators.

On November 25, 2011, Groupe Canal+ purchased a one-third interest in Orange Cinéma Séries. Initially limited to La TV d'Orange, the service expanded onto CanalSat on April 5, 2012. Subsequently, on September 22, 2012, it was rebranded as OCS to facilitate growth beyond the confines of Orange TV.

On October 10, 2013, OCS underwent a reorganization: OCS Happy merged into OCS Max; the on-demand platform OCS à la demande was transformed into the multiplatform service OCS Go; and OCS Novo was replaced by OCS City, which concentrated on television series and HBO programming.

Since its inception in 2008, OCS maintained an exclusive agreement with HBO, while other channels such as Canal+ Séries broadcast reruns. This exclusivity intensified in 2017 when OCS secured comprehensive rights to HBO content.

OCS also operates a streaming platform that began as OCS Go and was renamed simply OCS in 2019. Its content partnerships feature exclusive contracts with Warner Bros., HBO, MGM, and Fidelity, alongside non-exclusive arrangements with studios like Gaumont, SND, BAC, and Wild Side.

On August 2, 2017, OCS launched in Switzerland via Teleclub Premium and has been accessible within Canal+’s Ciné-Séries package since March 2019.

Acquisition by Canal+

After Warner Bros. Discovery decided to pull HBO content from OCS to launch their own French streaming platform, Orange explored the possibility of divesting its premium movie package OCS along with its production division, Orange Studio.

The HBO agreement concluded in December 2022, leading to the removal of most HBO titles from OCS in January 2023. As a result, the HBO-centric channel OCS City was shut down and combined with OCS Choc to create OCS Pulp.

On January 8, 2023, Canal+ Group and Orange revealed that Canal+ would purchase Orange's premium pay-TV movie offerings OCS—including its trio of channels—and the film production and co-production company Orange Studio. Canal+ had previously maintained a minority ownership in these assets. This transaction was intended to bolster Canal+'s foothold in the French premium pay-TV sector.

In January 2024, following conditional clearance from the French Competition Authority, Groupe Canal+ completed the acquisition of Orange's premium pay-TV movie service OCS, its three channels, and Orange Studios.

TV channels

Channel Genre Remarks Launch Year Closure Year
Blockbusters, comedies, family and teen movies Programming transferred to Ciné+ Premier (now OCS), Ciné+ Frisson, and Ciné+ Family 2008 2024
Classic cinema Content shifted to Ciné+ Classic
Streaming platform merged into Ciné+, later Ciné+ OCS Streaming service 2013
Independent, arthouse, action, thriller, and horror films Programming moved to Ciné+ Frisson and Ciné+ Festival
Channel targeting family and teen audiences Shows relocated to OCS Max 2008 2013
Independent and arthouse cinema channel Rebranded as OCS City
Action, thriller, and horror movies channel Integrated into OCS Pulp in 2023 2023
Independent films, arthouse titles plus HBO programming 2013

OCS Max (2008-2024)

This compilation includes series initially broadcast on OCS Happy before their transition to OCS Max.

OCS Choc (2008–2023)

OCS City (2013-2023)

*  Episodes  
*  Entourage  
*Extra Life 
*  Flesh And Bone  
*' The Game '
*' Game Of Thrones  '
*'  Girls  '
*' Hello Ladies  '
*'  High Maintenance  '
*'  Irma Vep  '
*' Irresponsable '
*' In America '
*'  Insecure  '
*'  John Adams  '
*' The Knick  '
*'  The Leftovers  '
*'  Looking  '
* Louie 
* Low Winter Sun 
* Manhattan 
* Masters of Sex 
* Missions 
* Mozart in the Jungle 
* Mr Selfridge 
* The Newsroom 
* The Night Of 
* The Office( British TV Series ) 
* Q.I. 
* Room 104 
* Rome 
* Search Party 
* Sex and the City 
* Sex and the Series 
* Show Me a Hero 
* Silicon Valley 
* Six Feet Under 
* The Sopranos 
* Templeton 
* Togetherness 
* Transparent 
* Treme 
* True Blood 
* True Detective 
* Veep 
* Vice Principals 
* Vinyl 
* Xanadu 
* Westworld 
* The White Lotus

OCS Pulp (2023-2024)

 * '3615 Monique'
 
 * 'Tales of the Walking Dead'
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