Luxembourg based satellite operator SES has started legal proceedings against Canal+ in order to receive back payments to the tune of €7.5 million.
According to a report by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf the French pay TV broadcaster has not paid for its transponder lease on the SES-owned Astra satellite.
SES started the proceedings with the Amsterdam court, according to the newspaper that has seen the operator’s filing with the court, in order to recoup its outstanding transponder capacity bills.
Canal+ is using the Astra satellite at 19 degrees East as its main DTH vehicle for the French market. However, the premium broadcaster is now increasingly making use of alternative distribution channels, including IPTV and fibre networks in mainland France.
Canal+’s parent company Vivendi has launched a number of drastic spending cuts, among them the reduction on the number of transponders leased from Astra-SES. The satellite operator now demands termination costs, which Canal+ refuses to pay. SES is now seeking payment of all outstanding invoices as well as a termination fee.
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