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‘We believe in streaming quality over quantity’ – The future of TV at Cannes with FreeWheel, WBD and Canal+

‘We believe in streaming quality over quantity’ – The future of TV at Cannes with FreeWheel, WBD and Canal+
L-R: Zeitoun, Mollier, Dremeaux


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According to Warner Bros Discovery ad sales director Estelle Zeitoun, consumers “are telling us they are looking for premium, high-quality content”.

It’s within that context that Max will be rebranding back to HBO Max next month. As Zeitoun said: “It seems natural to bring HBO back into the forefront of our brand because HBO has long been a symbol of excellence and a marker of quality content and powerful storytelling”.

Speaking with Virginie Dremeaux, Comcast Advertising VP of marketing and communications, international, Fabrice Mollier, president of Canal+ Brand Solutions, also reflected on the recent rebrand of video on-demand over-the-top streaming service myCanal to Canal+.

For Mollier, the rebrand is part of three core pillars Canal+ is driving over the next 12 to 18 months: data, AI, and behaving more as one global group.

“We will now grow internationally on one platform,” he said.


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The trio was speaking just one year after Max launched in France, in partnership with Canal+. The streaming service has since been available to Canal+ subscribers, while Canal+ Brand Solutions has been selling Max ad inventory on its ad-supported tier in the market.

“Teaming up with Canal+ ensured us to meet commercial and technical standards of the market”, explained Zeitoun. She noted that more than 200 advertisers have spent with Max in France in its first year, including 120 new brands thus far in 2025.

Mollier likewise expressed pride in the partnership, calling it “logical” for Canal+ to enlarge its partnership with another platform.

“The connection with the linear business was very interesting, because it helped us to talk about content,” he said. “We always talk about audiences when we talk about VOD, and thanks to the partnership, it helps us to do fantastic associations with clients on specific content, like White Lotus, for instance”.

That includes using AI to better target inventories and use contextual data from Max’s titles.

As Mollier explained, Canal+ can use AI to scan Max shows to understand the best moments to place ads for different brands.

The feature is currently being tested in US before launching in France in H2.

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