Sooner

Sooner is a European video-on-demand (VOD) service dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema. It was launched in 2020 as a joint initiative between French distributor Metropolitan Filmexport and German company EYZ Media, operating through their ContentScope joint venture. The platform emerged from the consolidation of several independent European streaming services, including UniversCiné, Filmo, and Realeyz, under a unified brand. Sooner offers a curated library of over 2,000 hand-picked films, including European arthouse titles, award-winning documentaries, festival favorites, and exclusive premieres. The service is available via subscription (monthly, yearly, and student plans), as well as transactional VOD (rental or purchase). It operates in multiple European markets, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France, with an international version accessible worldwide through soonereurope.com since 2023. The platform emphasizes quality over quantity, positioning itself as an alternative to mainstream streaming giants by focusing on exceptional storytelling and new perspectives. Sooner is controlled by Metropolitan Filmexport, which holds significant stakes in the operating companies, with additional backing from Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations and other cinema-related investors. In addition to streaming, Sooner has expanded into theatrical distribution and physical media (DVD/Blu-ray) through partnerships and its own label.

Sooner's origins trace back to 2014, when the brand was registered at EUIPO by French film distribution company Metropolitan Filmexport, which had been a shareholder in Le Meilleur du Cinéma (the group behind UniversCiné and EuroVOD) since 2010. That same year, Metropolitan Filmexport and Le Meilleur du Cinéma partnered to invest in UniversCiné Belgium and Spanish platform Filmin. In 2015, producer Alain Rocca, president of Le Meilleur du Cinéma, expressed the goal of deploying a unified label across France and Europe within five years, aiming to create a common brand for an independent subscription VOD platform. In 2018, Metropolitan Filmexport joined forces with German company EYZ Media, operator of the Realeyz service, to form the joint venture ContentScope. The following year, they launched a German version of UniversCiné. Sooner was first launched in Belgium on RTBF's Auvio service in June 2020, and then on its own platform from mid-July 2020, also in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Sooner replaced the UniversCiné and UnCut platforms in Belgium, as well as UniversCiné and Realeyz in Germany. The service was subsequently rolled out to Luxembourg in December 2020 (replacing VoD.lu) and to the Netherlands in 2021. An international version of Sooner became available from 2023 via soonereurope.com. The Sooner subscription was also marketed through Prime Video in the United Kingdom (replacing Realeyz) and in Sweden. In France, following UniversCiné's acquisition of Filmo in 2024, the two platforms merged under the Sooner brand on 16 February 2026, and were joined in July by Cinéma(s) à la Demande, the VOD service of Metropolitan Filmexport. Sooner also expanded into theatrical film distribution in association with CutCutCut, and into physical media (DVD, Blu-ray) with the L'Œil de Sooner collection under its Blaq Out label.

• 2026

  Filmo and UniversCiné merge under Sooner brand on 16 February; Cinéma(s) à la Demande joins in July.

• 2024

  UniversCiné acquires Filmo.

• 2023

  International version launched via soonereurope.com.

• 2021

  Sooner expands to the Netherlands.

• 2020

  Sooner launched in Belgium on RTBF Auvio in June, then on own platform in July in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

• 2020

  Sooner deployed in Luxembourg in December, replacing VoD.lu.

• 2019

  German version of UniversCiné launched.

• 2018

  ContentScope joint venture formed by Metropolitan Filmexport and EYZ Media.

• 2015

  Alain Rocca announces plan for a unified European label within five years.

• 2014

  Sooner brand registered at EUIPO by Metropolitan Filmexport.

• 2014

  Metropolitan Filmexport and Le Meilleur du Cinéma invest in UniversCiné Belgium and Filmin.

Curated arthouse and independent cinema streaming platform, offering a hand-picked selection of European films, documentaries, and festival favorites, as an alternative to mainstream streaming services.

• Monthly subscription

  €7.99 per month, unlimited streaming, 4K on up to 4 screens, 7-day free trial.

• Yearly subscription

  €4.99 per month billed annually at €59.99, unlimited streaming, 4K on up to 4 screens.

• Student subscription

  €5.99 per month, unlimited streaming, 4K, 7-day free trial.

• Sooner 365 gift card

  One year of unlimited access to curated film art.

1. 1Sooner official websitesooner.de
2. 2Sooner - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Sooner - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org