Canal+ has quietly rolled out CNews Prime, a streaming-only sister channel to CNews that runs as a 100% live feed for long-form institutional events.
It will cover parliamentary sessions, ministerial press conferences, party meetings, and major speeches nonstop.
Here is what CNews Prime is, where and how you’ll watch it, and much more.
What CNews Prime is
This is a 100% digital, live-only news stream. The channel broadcasts continuous live events with a minimal-interruption schedule and little to no studio debate. It deliberately avoids the opinion-led programming that fills CNews’ main channel.
Gérald-Brice Viret, Directeur Général de Canal+ France told reporters:
“There are so many video feeds arriving at CNEWS every day that we needed a little sister to house all that flow….. CNEWS Prime prioritises live coverage and is highly complementary to CNEWS.”
In short, this product is a mirror feed devoted to live coverage delivered where streaming viewers live.
Where can you watch CNews Prime?
If you want to find CNews Prime right now, you have the following options:
- Open myCANAL or the Canal+ app: CNews Prime appears on Canal+ channel numbers and inside the myCANAL platform. It is channel 178 at launch.
- Use your ISP box: Many Freebox subscribers are seeing CNews Prime land on channel 159. Orange, SFR and Bouygues picked up slots at launch. If you don’t see the new TV station, reboot your TV set or smart box to force a channel list refresh.
- Visit cnews.fr or the CNews app: The official channel stream is accessible on the official web app. There are also official mobile apps for smartphones and tablets on all stores for major Operating Systems.
Why Canal+ launched CNews Prime
This launch isn’t random. Here are the forces driving it:
- Massive growth in streaming consumption for news. People are now increasingly expecting multiple streams and on-demand access. By placing a dedicated live feed in OTT and operator apps, Canal+ meets viewers where they consume most live news now, online and through IPTV.
- Operational smoothing of editorial schedules. Long parliamentary sessions and marathon press conferences used to displace debate shows or editorial programming on the linear CNews channel. With CNews Prime, Canal+ can carry uninterrupted events on the stream while preserving the curated, opinion-led schedule on the main channel.
- Audience segmentation and product expansion. Canal+ can target two distinct audiences. People who want analysis and opinion will watch CNews linear. Those who want raw live coverage will be on this new CNews Prime.
- Regulatory and distribution flexibility. CNews Prime sits outside TNT’s stricter obligations because it’s a pure OTT/IP service. That provides Canal+ with more programming flexibility and potentially different compliance metrics.
How this new channel will change what you watch
You should expect concrete differences in how news plays out on-screen now that we have this new TV station. Here is a breakdown:
- No studio interruptions for long events. When a National Assembly session runs long, you can switch to CNews Prime and watch the whole event end-to-end. You’ll get fewer “cutaways,” and no panel debates interrupting the live feed. That feels more like an official livestream than a curated news show.
- Easier access to institutional transparency. You won’t rely on edited highlights alone. CNews Prime lets you see hearings, briefings and official statements in full. That can matter for researchers, journalists and politically engaged viewers who prefer primary-source viewing.
- Potential fragmentation of attention. If you routinely watch opinion programming on linear CNews, you may find yourself visiting two different streams for the same story. You will have a raw feed on Prime and, at the same time, an analysis going on via the main channel.
- Regulatory and distribution flexibility. The new TV stations will sit outside TNT’s stricter obligations because it’s a pure OTT/IP service. That provides Canal+ more programming flexibility and different compliance metrics, while still distributing widely through ISP partnerships.