 | |
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Montreal,Quebec |
| Programming | |
| Language | French |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled toletterboxed480i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Astral Media (1983–2013) Bell Media (2013–present) |
| Sister channels | Crave HBO Starz Cinépop |
| History | |
| Launched | February 1, 1983 |
| Former names | Premier Choix Premier Choix: TVEC |
| Links | |
| Website | crave.ca/en/super-ecran |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Crave | Over-the-top TV |
Super Écran (French:Super Screen) is aCanadianFrench-languagepremium television network owned byBell Media. It airs a mix of commercial-free films and television series. Films are primarily sourced from the United States and Canada, while the television series mostly consist of original series and programs fromHBO andShowtime in the United States.
Launched on February 1, 1983 under the namePremier Choix (French:First Choice), the channel was licensed by theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to provide a national 24-hour-a-dayFrench-language pay television network. It was owned and operated byFirst Choice Canadian Communications.[1]
Premier Choix had a difficult time attracting enough subscribers, as did a regional Quebec-based pay-television network called TVEC which was licensed in November 1982.Rogers Cable in Toronto couldn't add the channel until September 1983, and Videon Cable in Winnipeg didn't have the additional channel capacity to add it until its dispute withManitoba Telecom Services (MTS) over ownership of the cable plant was settled.
In the early years, beforeRéseau des sports andMusiquePlus were licensed, programming consisted of 70% movies and 30% sports.
TVEC (Télévision de l'Est du Canada Inc. (French:Eastern Canada Television Inc.)) was licensed in November 1982 as a regional French-language pay-TV channel fromQuebec, serving Quebec,eastern Ontario, andAtlantic Canada (New Brunswick).
In February 1984 these two channels combined to form Super Écran.[2][3]
In the late 1980s,Premier Choix: TVEC was awarded licenses for three additional specialty services, includingCanal D andLe Canal Famille.
The network was granted authorization for national distribution across Canada in 1996.[4]
On October 30, 2006, Astral Media launched anHD simulcast of Super Écran. Later, Astral launched HD feeds for all three remaining channels.
On March 4, 2013, theCompetition Bureau approved the takeover of Astral Media byBell Media.[5] Bell filed a new application for the proposed takeover with the CRTC on March 6, 2013;[6] the CRTC approved the merger on June 27, 2013.[7]
On January 21, 2020, Bell announced that it would expand its subscription streaming serviceCrave into the French-language market on January 28, adding a selection of French-language content for all subscribers, as well as a premium Super Écran tier (equivalent to the "Crave + Movies + HBO" tier tied to Crave'sEnglish-language linear service, formerly known as The Movie Network). With the changes, the Super Écran Go apps were discontinued, with subscribers being directed to the Crave app forTV Everywhere video on-demand access. This is now currently available toVidéotron subscribers, as they have now reached a carriage agreement to allow use of the Crave app.[8][9]
Super Écran offers an extensive variety ofHollywood and Canadian movies, television series from HBO, Showtime and others distributors, and original content. Super Écran operates four multiplex channels, numbered from 1 to 4 instandard andhigh-definition. Avideo on demand service, "Super Écran Sur Demande", was offered fordigital cable and satellite subscribers, and "Super Écran Go", a TV Everywhere platform for mobile and TV streaming set-top box, both featuring programming from the Super Écran channels. Go ceased operations on January 28, 2020, with their programming moving to the Crave platform whileSur Demande was only removed forVideotron Subscribers.