If you’re living in Canada and haven’t poked around the ICI TOU.TV app lately, you’re basically missing out on the cultural heartbeat of the French-speaking side of the country. It’s not just "French Netflix." Honestly, calling it that feels a bit like calling a gourmet poutine a "soggy fry dish." It doesn’t do it justice.
Radio Canada Tout TV (now officially branded as ICI TOU.TV) is this massive, weirdly specific, and incredibly deep digital library that manages to be both a national archive and a high-budget production house. Whether you’re a Francophone since birth or someone trying to polish up their French skills without a boring textbook, this platform is the heavy hitter.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Tiers
People always ask: "Is it free or not?" The answer is a very Canadian "well, kinda both."
The basic version of Radio Canada Tout TV is free. You don't even need a credit card to watch a good chunk of stuff, though you’ll have to sit through ads. It's perfect for catching up on the nightly news or watching recent episodes of Infoman. But there’s a massive gate called EXTRA.
The EXTRA tier costs about $8.99 a month (as of early 2026). This is where the "good stuff" lives. We're talking about exclusive series like C’est comme ça que je t’aime or Plan B before they ever hit the regular TV airwaves.
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The "Hidden" Discounts
Here is the thing nobody tells you until you’ve already paid: if you’re a TELUS or Koodo customer, you might already have this for free. They’ve had a long-standing deal where the EXTRA subscription is bundled into many mobile and home internet plans. Seriously, check your bill. You might be sitting on a free login while paying for Netflix like a sucker.
Also, a brand new development for 2026 is the Crave + ICI TOU.TV Extra bundle. For $15.99, you get both. It’s a smart move by Bell and Radio-Canada to stop fighting each other and just take on the American giants together.
The Content: It's Not Just Reruns
There’s a misconception that public broadcasting apps are just dusty archives of shows your grandma liked. Not here. Radio Canada Tout TV is where the most daring Québécois dramas start.
Take M’entends-tu (Can You Hear Me?). It’s gritty, it’s heartbreaking, and it started its life here. Then you’ve got the massive Véro.tv section, curated by Véronique Cloutier. It’s basically a lifestyle and documentary empire inside the app.
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What to watch in 2026:
- Saint-Pierre (Season 2): The detective drama set in the French islands off the coast of Newfoundland. It’s gorgeous and the accents are fascinating.
- Wild Cards (Season 3): If you like lighthearted procedurals with a bit of a bite.
- The Assembly: This is a localized version of the French hit Les Rencontres du Papotin, where people with autism interview celebrities. It’s raw, funny, and honestly some of the most human TV you’ll ever see.
- Dragons' Den (Season 20): Yes, it’s still going, and the French-Canadian version often has way more drama than the English one.
The Technical Reality (The Good and the Frustrating)
Let’s be real for a second. The app isn't perfect. If you go to the App Store, you'll see a 4.8 rating, but the comments are a war zone of "Why won't AirPlay work?" and "It logged me out again!"
Radio-Canada has been aggressive with updates throughout 2025 and 2026. They’ve added a "Pause Ads" feature for Apple TV (where the ad stays static when you pause) and significantly improved the search function, which used to be—frankly—terrible.
The app supports:
- 4K Streaming (on selected new series)
- Offline downloads (on the EXTRA tier)
- Multi-device sync (start on your phone, finish on your Xbox)
One major limitation: Geoblocking. If you’re outside Canada, the app shuts down like a vault. Because of licensing, you can't just stream District 31 while sitting on a beach in Florida unless you're using a high-quality VPN with a dedicated Canadian IP. Even then, the app is getting smarter at sniffing those out.
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Why It Actually Matters
In a world where everything is becoming "globalized" (which is usually code for "Americanized"), Radio Canada Tout TV is a fortress for local culture. It’s where you hear the "joual" of Montreal, the softer accents of the Gaspé, and the stories that wouldn't make sense anywhere else.
It’s also surprisingly international. Through partnerships with TV5Monde, France Télévisions, and RTBF (Belgium), it’s become a hub for the entire Francophonie. You can watch a gritty Belgian noir followed by a documentary about Swiss chocolate without changing apps.
How to Get the Most Out of It
If you're looking to dive in, don't just wander around the homepage. Use the "Parcourir" (Browse) tab and look for the "Cinéma" section. They often host films from the National Film Board (ONF) that you literally cannot find anywhere else.
If you're learning French, turn on the subtitles (CC). They are usually very accurate, unlike the auto-generated ones on YouTube that turn every second word into gibberish.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your mobility provider: If you are with TELUS or Koodo, log into your account portal and look for the "Add-ons" or "Included Services" section to activate your EXTRA account for $0.
- Download the app on a tablet: The interface is much better on an iPad or Android tablet than it is on a smart TV remote.
- Explore the "Jeunesse" section: If you have kids, the "Zone Jeunesse" is a goldmine of educational content that isn't as brain-rotting as some of the stuff on YouTube Kids.
- Link your account: Create a free profile even if you don't pay. It saves your progress across devices, which is essential because the app "forgets" where you were if you're just browsing as a guest.