Canal+ rebrands Skylink with five new packages and an application
The long-running satellite television brand Skylink will vanish from the Czech and Slovak markets on Thursday, October 22, 2026, when media group Canal+ officially rebrands the platform and rolls out five new viewing packages alongside a dedicated mobile and smart TV application, lupa.cz reported.
Canal+ Replaces Skylink Brand in Regional Market
French media conglomerate Canal+ detailed its roadmap for the regional market during a press event held at Holešovice Market in Prague, according to MediaGuru. The transition brings an end to the Skylink name, which has operated in the region for nearly two decades. The overarching M7 Group history traces back through various mergers and acquisitions since 2007, culminating in Vivendi-owned Canal+ taking full ownership in 2019, zive.cz noted. Jaromír Glisník, the former head of Skylink and an M7 Group veteran, attended the launch event alongside corporate leadership and now acts as a consultant for Canal+.
Under the new operational structure, existing customers retain their current program packages and legacy pricing without forced migration. For new subscribers or those opting to switch, the revamped lineup consists of five primary tiers: Start, Relax, Cinema, Sport, and Total. Canal+ priced the entry-level Start tier at 209 crowns per month, while the family-focused Relax tier costs 349 crowns. The film-heavy Cinema package runs at 419 crowns monthly, the sports-centric Sport tier costs 499 crowns, and the comprehensive Total bundle sits at 699 crowns. Canal+ is offering a 25 percent discount on all standard monthly fees for the initial six months of subscription.
| Package Name | Channel Count | Core Content and Video Libraries | Standard Monthly Price | Promo Price (First 6 Months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canal+ Start | 79 | Basic TV, sports, selection of Canal+ video library | 209 CZK | from 156 CZK |
| Canal+ Relax | 114 | Family, film, series, documentary channels, Canal+ library | 349 CZK | from 261 CZK |
| Canal+ Cinema | 119 | Expanded film offering, HBO/Cinemax, libraries for Canal+, Apple TV, HBO Max | 419 CZK | from 314 CZK |
| Canal+ Sport | 122 | Premier League, Champions League, LaLiga, F1, MotoGP, Nova Sport, Canal+ library | 499 CZK | from 374 CZK |
| Canal+ Total | 130 | Full film and sports suite, Apple TV, HBO Max, HBO Max Sport, Exxxtra | 699 CZK | from 524 CZK |
Optional add-on packages include HBO channels with HBO Max access for 149 crowns per month, HBO Sport containing Eurosport channels for 199 crowns, the Apple TV app integration for 149 crowns, an adult-content Exxxtra pack for 149 crowns, and a Hungarian language block for 49 crowns. All main tiers from Start upward include simultaneous streaming on two separate devices.
Canal+ Introduces Four Proprietary Linear Channels
Coinciding with the brand transition, Canal+ is introducing four proprietary channels to the lineup: Canal+, Canal+ Drama, Canal+ Crime, and Canal+ Classics, parabola.cz reported. The flagship Canal+ channel will broadcast domestic film premieres and international blockbusters. Canal+ Drama features series and films starring actors such as Zendaya and Robert Pattinson alongside titles like Saltburn
and Interview with the Vampire
, MediaGuru noted. Canal+ Crime targets true-crime programming and psychological thrillers, while Canal+ Classics focuses on cinematic heritage including The Silence of the Lambs
and Jaws
.
The technical rollout requires adjustments to channel lineups. Satellite receivers equipped with the FastScan function will reorder automatically, whereas manual tuning is required for unmanaged hardware. Canal+ provided specific satellite technical parameters for the new feeds operating on the Astra 23,5°E orbital position, utilizing horizontal polarization, skylink.cz detailed.
Alongside linear television, the new standalone Canal+ application brings direct content aggregation to smart televisions and mobile hardware. According to the company’s regional presentations cited by MediaGuru, the software supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and integrates roughly two thousand linear channels globally.
Canal+ Expands Production Slate and Live Broadcasts
Production investments continue to expand under the brand umbrella. Canal+ confirmed the spring 2027 premiere of a six-part miniseries titled Zmizení Sáry Lindertové
, directed by Matěj Chlupáček and co-produced alongside Barletta, Czech Television, and TV JOJ. The studio also backed the documentary film Stříbrná cesta
covering the 1976 Czechoslovak football championship run, and is developing a second season of Big Pete
, MediaGuru reported.
On the live broadcasting front, Canal+ scheduled a promotional weekend across October 31 and November 1 dubbed Premier League Superstar Weekend. Former football internationals Milan Baroš, Patrik Berger, Vladimír Šmicer, and Karel Poborský will appear as studio experts from Chelsea and Liverpool stadiums and the Prague broadcast desk. Simultaneously, Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková will host the Matchpoint studio covering the WTA Finals tournament, MediaGuru stated.