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OCS (TV network)

{{Infobox television channel

| name = OCS

| logo = OCS logo.png

| logo_size =

| logo_alt =

| logo_caption =

| image =

| launch_date = {{start date and age|November 13, 2008}}

| closed_date =

| replaced_by =

| owner = Groupe Canal+

| parent =

| picture_format = 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)

| country = France

| area = France, Switzerland, Mauritius

| language = French
Original audio track

| headquarters = Paris, France

| former_names = Orange Cinéma Séries (2008–2012)

| website =

}}

OCS, or previously known as Orange Cinéma Séries, was a group of French pay television networks that is dedicated to films and series. It was launched in November 2008 by Orange S.A. and was later sold to Groupe Canal+

The channels launched on November 13, 2008, as part of the company's new direct-to-home satellite service and was exclusive to Orange TV.

OCS is composed of three channels and a streaming service. OCS broadcast almost all their series in English with French subtitles in simulcast with the American broadcasting, but they also broadcast series dubbed in French or French series. From November 2008 to December 2022, OCS was holding the French rights to HBO production.

From 2012, OCS TV package was available from Bouygues Telecom, CanalSat, Numericable, Orange TV, SFR and Tahiti Nui Satellite. All subscribers have the option to subscribe to OCS with their TV distributor. OCS is also available through multi devices. In 2024, following its acquisition by the Groupe Canal+

History

In April 2008, France Telecom (who would rebranded as Orange in 2013) announced that they're creating a new movie direct-to-home satellite service by launching Orange Cinema Series, a package of six pay-TV channels exclusive to Orange's customers and had signed exclusive content deals with Warner Bros. (including HBO), Gaumont, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to show their movies and TV series to the service.{{cite web|title=Télécom lance "Orange cinéma séries"|url=https://www.latribune.fr/archives/2008/ID0BA2BA5ACA6706B6C12574240027A17C/france-telecom-lance-orange-cinema-series.html|website=La Tribune|date=April 8, 2008|access-date=May 21, 2024}}

In October 2008, it was announced that Orange had set the launch date of their subscription-based multiplatform Orange Cinema Series along with their announced five new pay-TV premium movie channels which were called Orange Cinemax (for major blockbusters in HD), Orange Cinéhappy (for family films), Orange Cinéchoc (for action movies), Orange Cinénovo (for independent and art house films) and Orange Cinegeants (for timeless classic movies) as part of the company's then-new television service named Orange TV to November 13, 2008 with HBO's programming being available in that same day on the Orange Cinema Series service.{{cite web|title=Orange takes wraps off Cinema Series|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/orange-takes-wraps-cinema-series-120678/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Rebecca|last=Leffler|date=October 8, 2008|access-date=May 21, 2024}}{{cite web|title=Orange sets November launch for movie bouquet|url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2008/10/09/orange-sets-november-launch-for-movie-bouquet/|website=Broadcast TV News|first=Robert|last=Briel|date=October 8, 2008|access-date=May 21, 2024}}

A month later on November of that same year, Orange Cinema Series was officially launched along with their five channels.

=Attempted merger with Canal+=

In September 2010, France Telecom had announced that there in talks with Groupe Canal+ the owner of CinéCinema and TPS Star channels to merge Orange's Orange Cinema Series with Canal+'s general entertainment channel TPS Star to create a premium

On January 20, 2011, France Telecom and Canal+ had announced that they're creating a new enterprise partnership that could merge the blockbuster film channel Orange Cinema Series with TPS Star to create a proposed premium pay TV channel which was planned to be called Orange Cine Star. It was going to be distributed by the Orange services and CanalSat was about to be available to other French telco operators.{{cite web|title=Canal Plus, Orange team on pay TV|url=https://variety.com/2011/biz/markets-festivals/canal-plus-orange-team-on-pay-tv-1118030537/|website=Variety|first=John|last=Hopewell|date=January 20, 2011|access-date=May 21, 2024}}

On 25 November 2011, Canal+ took a 33% share in Orange Cinéma Séries. Originally exclusive to La TV d'Orange, Orange Cinéma Séries joined CanalSat on 5 April 2012. On 22 September 2012, Orange Cinéma Séries became OCS to show its expansion bouquets other than Orange TV.

On 10 October 2013, OCS Happy was merged with OCS Max; OCS à la demande became the multiplatform service OCS Go; and OCS Novo was replaced by OCS City, specialised in TV series and HBO productions.

Since 2008, OCS have an exclusive contract with HBO, but other channels like Canal+ Séries can broadcasts reruns of HBO series. In 2017, OCS's contract with HBO became stricter, giving complete exclusivity to OCS.

The suite also includes a streaming service, OCS Go, who simply became OCS in 2019. Content is provided by exclusive contracts with Warner Bros., HBO, MGM and Fidelity as well as non-exclusive contracts with Gaumont, SND, BAC and Wild Side.{{cite news|url=http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=9298|title=Orange sets November launch for movie bouquet|date=October 9, 2008|publisher=broadbandtvnews.com}}

On 2 August 2017, OCS was launched in Switzerland on Teleclub Premium. It is also available on the Ciné-Séries bouquet of Canal+ since March 2019.

=Acquisition by Canal+=

When Warner Bros. Discovery announced that their removing of HBO shows on OCS in return for the former launching their own streaming service in France, it was announced that Orange was considering selling their movie bouquet OCS along with their channels including their production arm Orange Studio to other French companies

In December 2022, OCS deal with HBO ended with most HBO productions leaving OCS from January 2023 onwards. Following that, OCS closed OCS City, the channel that was in charge of HBO programs, and merged it with OCS Choc to create OCS Pulp.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/global/global/hbo-max-france-vera-peltekian-canal-plus-1235092381/|title=HBO Max France: Canal Plus Executive Vera Peltekian Set to Lead Original Programming (EXCLUSIVE)|access-date=October 26, 2021|date=October 19, 2021|website=Variety|author=Elsa Keslassy}}

On January 8, 2023, Canal+ Group along with Orange had announced that Groupe Canal+ had secured a deal with Orange and the latter announced that they were acquiring both Orange's rival premium pay-TV movie services OCS along with their three channels and its film production and television co-production house Orange Studio, which Canal+ previously owned the minority stake on Orange's pay-TV arm and film division. The planned acquisition would give Canal+ {{cite web|title=Canal+ Finalizes Acquisition of Orange's Pay TV, Film Subsidiaries in France|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/canal-ocs-orange-1235482068/|website=Variety|date=January 8, 2022|access-date=January 10, 2022}}

In January 2024, Groupe Canal+ announced that they had finalised their acquisition of Orange's pay-TV premium movie service OCS along with their three premium television channels and the film production and television series co-production company Orange Studios from long-time partner Orange after the acquisition was conditionally approved by the French Competition Authority{{cite web|title=Canal+ Group Gets Anti-Trust Approval to Acquire French Pay TV Group OCS and Orange Studio, Under Certain Conditions|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/canal-group-anti-trust-approval-acquisition-ocs-orange-studio-1235870679/|website=Variety|first=Elsa|last=Keslassy|date=January 12, 2024|access-date=May 21, 2024}}

TV channels

class="wikitable" font-size:95% style="text-align:center"

! Channel !! Type !! Notes !! Launched !! Closed

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo OCS Max.png

| Blockbusters, comedies, family and teen films

| Programs have been moved to Ciné+ Premier (Now OCS), Ciné+ Frisson and Ciné+ Family

| rowspan="2" | 2008

| rowspan="4" | 2024

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo Ocsgeants.png

| Classic films

| Programs have been moved to Ciné+ Classic

width="100" align="center"|File:OCS logo.png

| rowspan="2" | Merged to Ciné+ then Ciné+ OCS launched

| Streaming service

| 2013

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo OCS Pulp 2022.svg

| Independent, arthouse, action, thriller and horror films

| Programs have been moved to Ciné+ Frisson and Ciné+ Festival

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo OCS Happy 2012.svg

| Family and teen channel

| Programs have been moved to OCS Max

| rowspan="3" | 2008

| rowspan="2" | 2013

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo OCS Novo 2012.svg

| Independent and art house films

| Became OCS City

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo OCS Choc.png

| Action, thriller and horror films

| rowspan="2" | Merged and became OCS Pulp

| rowspan="2" | 2023

width="100" align="center"|File:Logo OCS City.png

| Independent, art house films and programs from HBO

| 2013

Logo

= 2008-2012 =

File:Logo Orange Ciné Max 2008.svg|Orange Ciné Max logo from November 13, 2008 to September 22, 2012.

File:Logo Orange Ciné Happy 2008.svg|Orange Ciné Happy logo from November 13, 2008 to September 22, 2012.

File:Logo Orange Ciné Choc 2008.svg|Orange Ciné Choc logo from November 13, 2008 to September 22, 2012.

File:Logo Orange Ciné Novo 2008.svg|Orange Ciné Novo logo from November 13, 2008 to September 22, 2012.

File:Logo Orange Ciné Geants 2008.svg|Orange Ciné Geants logo from November 13, 2008 to September 22, 2012.

= 2012-2022 =

File:Logo OCS Max 2012.svg|OCS Max logo from September 22, 2012 to February 1, 2022.

File:Logo OCS Happy 2012.svg|OCS Happy logo from September 22, 2012 to October 10, 2013.

File:Logo OCS Choc 2012.svg|OCS Choc logo from September 22, 2012 to February 1, 2022.

File:Logo OCS Novo 2012.svg|OCS Novo logo from September 22, 2012 to October 10, 2013.

File:Logo OCS Geants 2012.svg|OCS Geants logo from September 22, 2012 to February 1, 2022.

File:Logo OCS City 2012.svg|OCS City logo from October 10, 2013 to February 1, 2022.

= 2022-present =

File:Logo OCS Max.png|OCS Max logo from February 1, 2022

File:Logo OCS Choc.png|OCS Choc logo from February 1, 2022

File:Logo Ocsgeants.png|OCS Géants logo from February 1, 2022

File:Logo OCS City.png|OCS City logo from February 1, 2022

File:Logo OCS Pulp 2022.svg|OCS Pulp logo from January 12, 2023

Series

=OCS Max (2008-2024)=

This list includes programs from OCS Happy who have been moved to OCS Max.

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=OCS Choc (2008-2023)=

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

{{Div col end}}

=OCS City (2013-2023)=

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{{Div col end}}

=OCS Pulp (2023-2024)=

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Television in France}}

{{Orange S.A.}}

{{Groupe Canal Plus}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orange Cinema Series}}

Category:Defunct television channels in France

Category:Television stations in France

Category:Television channels and stations established in 2008

Category:Orange S.A.

Category:Canal+

Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2024

Category:2024 disestablishments in France