Olympia TV

Olympia TV was a French subscription television channel created by Canal+ in association with the Olympia concert hall. The service was designed as a dedicated home for recorded and broadcast performing arts, with a schedule built around theatrical productions, concerts and other stage performances rather than general entertainment or conventional film and television programming. Canal+ announced the channel in November 2019 as part of a cooperation agreement with the Olympia Hall. The initiative was presented as a way to create greater synergy between the Canal+ group and one of France’s best-known performance venues. A related promotional and awards event, the Olympia Awards, was planned for broadcast on C8 in December 2019 before the new channel’s launch. Performer and theatre personality Francis Huster supported the project during its development and introduction. Olympia TV began broadcasting on 21 January 2020 on the Canal+ platform. Its programming was organized around recurring weekly themes. Contemporary theatre was emphasized on Mondays, pop and rock concerts on Tuesdays, modern circus on Wednesdays, comedy on Thursdays, classical theatre on Fridays, classical opera or ballet on Saturdays, and concerts on Sundays. A daily magazine programme preceded the main evening schedule at 8 p.m., while the principal performance programming generally ran from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. Although the Olympia Hall was an important source of performances, the channel was not limited to productions from that venue. Its programming also included international concerts and performances recorded at other French cultural and entertainment halls. This gave Olympia TV a broader remit than a single-venue channel: it used the Olympia name and partnership as a cultural anchor while presenting a wider selection of stage entertainment. Delphine Dewost was appointed editorial director on 25 February 2020, shortly after the channel launched. Her appointment established a named editorial leader for the service during its early operating period. Olympia TV’s positioning was consequently based on curated access to live and recorded performance culture, combining accessible popular entertainment such as humour and pop-rock concerts with more traditional forms including theatre classics, opera and ballet. Canal+ later informed subscribers that the channel was scheduled to cease broadcasting on 30 June 2026. The planned closure was reported by Screen+ and confirmed by Canal+ on 29 May. Until that scheduled date, the channel remained a Canal+ subscription offering in France. No successor brand, independent ownership structure or post-closure programming arrangement is identified in the available reference material.

Olympia TV originated in a November 2019 announcement by Canal+ concerning a cooperation agreement with the Olympia Hall. The proposed service was part of a broader effort to connect Canal+’s television distribution capabilities with the programming and cultural identity of the Paris performance venue. The project was intended to give subscribers regular access to recorded stage performances, while an Olympia Awards event on C8 was planned as a visible pre-launch component. Francis Huster supported the channel during its development. The channel launched on 21 January 2020 as a French subscription service available through the Canal+ platform. Its editorial concept centered on performances rather than conventional television genres. The schedule was structured by day of the week: contemporary theatre on Mondays, pop and rock concerts on Tuesdays, modern circus on Wednesdays, humour on Thursdays, theatre classics on Fridays, opera or ballet on Saturdays, and concerts on Sundays. A daily magazine programme aired at 8 p.m. before the main evening offerings, which generally continued until 1 a.m. Olympia TV drew on performances from the Olympia Hall but also carried international concerts and productions from other French venues. The channel therefore functioned as a curated performing-arts service rather than a simple live feed or archive for one location. Its content mix combined popular and specialist forms, allowing comedy, contemporary theatre and rock concerts to sit alongside classical theatre, opera and ballet. On 25 February 2020, Delphine Dewost was appointed editorial director. This was an early leadership development for the channel as it established its programming identity after launch. The available reference material does not identify a separate corporate headquarters, independent listed entity or standalone ownership structure; Olympia TV is described as owned by Canal+ and associated with Canal+ Group. Canal+ subsequently notified subscribers that the channel was scheduled to close on 30 June 2026. The closure was reported by Screen+ and confirmed by Canal+ on 29 May. The available sources do not specify the reasons for the decision, the treatment of its catalogue, or whether the programming would move to another Canal+ service. Olympia TV is therefore best understood as a Canal+ specialist channel whose operating life began in 2020 and was scheduled to end in 2026.

• 2026

  Scheduled closure

  [1]Olympia TVen.wikipedia.org

  Canal+ confirms that Olympia TV is scheduled to cease broadcasting on 30 June 2026.

• 2020

  Channel launch

  [1]Olympia TVen.wikipedia.org

  Olympia TV begins broadcasting on 21 January on the Canal+ platform.

• 2020

  Editorial leadership appointed

  [1]Olympia TVen.wikipedia.org

  Delphine Dewost becomes editorial director on 25 February.

• 2019

  Canal+ announces Olympia TV

  [1]Olympia TVen.wikipedia.org

  Canal+ announces the planned performing-arts channel as part of an agreement and synergy initiative with the Olympia Hall.

• 2019

  Olympia Awards planned for C8

  [1]Olympia TVen.wikipedia.org

  A related Olympia Awards event is planned for broadcast on C8 before the new channel’s launch.

A specialist French pay-TV channel offering curated stage entertainment, with programming spanning contemporary and classical theatre, concerts, comedy, circus, opera and ballet.

• Broadcast television channel · 2020

  Olympia TV subscription channel

  The core Olympia TV service was a French subscription television channel distributed through Canal+. It presented recorded and broadcast stage performances, including theatre, concerts, comedy, modern circus, opera and ballet. The schedule used recurring daily themes and was concentrated in the evening, with a magazine programme preceding the main performances. Content came from the Olympia Hall as well as other French venues and international events.

• 2019Olympia Awards pre-launch promotion

  France

  The Olympia Awards were planned for C8 as a promotional and editorial preface to the launch of Olympia TV, linking the new channel to the Olympia Hall and Canal+’s wider television ecosystem.

  Outcome. The initiative was presented as part of the channel’s launch plan; the available material does not provide further performance or audience results.

  Source

• 2026

  Close Olympia TVOther

  Background

  Canal+ later notified subscribers that the specialist channel was scheduled to end operations.

  Action taken

  Canal+ confirmed a planned cessation of broadcasting on 30 June 2026.

  Aftermath

  The available sources do not state whether the channel’s catalogue or programming would be transferred to another service.

  Source

• 2019

  Create a dedicated performing-arts channelProduct launch

  Background

  Canal+ and the Olympia Hall sought to build a television service around theatre and related live performances.

  Action taken

  Canal+ announced Olympia TV and planned its distribution on the Canal+ platform, alongside the Olympia Awards pre-launch event on C8.

  Aftermath

  The channel launched in January 2020 with a recurring weekly schedule covering multiple performing-arts genres.

  Source

1. 1Olympia TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Olympia TV on Canal+canalplus.com