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Features
LFP, Mediapro lose money, face in rights fiasco but victory for Canal Plus could be pyrrhic
The collapse in December of the French football league’s media-rights deal with Mediapro is the biggest market setback suffered by a European league for nearly two decades – since the failure of the ITV Digital pay-television platform nearly bankrupted the English Football League in 2002.
NBA floats League Pass option in beIN renewal talks in France
The National Basketball Association entertained the possibility of going exclusively direct-to-consumer in France as a way of counterbalancing a lack of competition in its latest renewal with pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports, SportBusiness Media understands.
NFL rights fee falls in France in beIN renewal
The National Football League has seen a fall in its media-rights income from France in the 2020-23 cycle driven by a decline in the value of its deal with pay-television broadcaster beIN, SportBusiness Media understands.
French basketball seeks ‘reboot’ in one-season free-to-air domestic deals
The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) sacrificed domestic media-rights income from its club competitions in order to reboot the sport in free-to-air deals with digital terrestrial broadcasters L’Équipe TV and ‘Sport in France’, SportBusiness Media understands.
Infront takes EHF rights hit to secure coverage in tough key markets
European Handball Federation club competition rights have decreased in value in several key markets, with incumbents dropping out to leave tough market conditions for seller Infront.
Canal Plus locks in European Tour rights for eight years in France renewal
Canal Plus and the European Tour renewed their deal in France for a mammoth eight years in what is seen as an attempt by the broadcaster to fend off the potential threat of Discovery’s GolfTV channel.
Canal Plus raises French third-tier football outlay in renewal
Canal Plus has paid an uplift to renew its rights to France’s Championnat National, the third tier of club football in the country, for another four seasons.
RFEF sees respectable Copa del Rey fee in France after initial debacle
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) managed to secure a fairly robust fee for the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa from L’Equipe TV in France, despite a lost season following the abortive sale of the rights to a previously unknown agency.
Mediapro’s minimum guarantee demand may scupper Téléfoot carriage talks
The reluctance of French pay-television platforms to pay a minimum guarantee to carry Mediapro’s new Téléfoot channel has become a huge obstacle to the Spanish agency’s prospects for finalising distribution deals before the start of the new domestic football season.
DFB-Pokal still in limbo in France despite L’Équipe rights deal
L’Équipe TV’s deal for French rights to the German DFB-Pokal covered just the climax of the 2019-2020 club knock-out competition, SportBusiness Media understands, meaning the property is still without a stable broadcast relationship in the country.
French Swimming Federation carves out FTA rights in beIN renewal
The French Swimming Federation (FFN) has carved out domestic free-to-air rights for 2020 and 2021 in a departure from the previous cycle. But the Covid-19 pandemic has introduced significant uncertainty over how the rights-holder’s new broadcasting contracts will operate.
Basketball data report, 2020
In the latest interactive monthly data report, SportBusiness Media analyses the basketball media-rights landscape.
EHF Champions League rescheduling hits rights round in France
The rescheduling of European Handball Federation Champions League matches to midweek is proving a sticking point in Infront’s efforts to negotiate a new rights round in France, SportBusiness Media understands.
Canal, FOM activate option to extend F1 deal in France
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus and Formula One Management activated an option to extend their F1 rights agreement by two years, to the end of 2022, SportBusiness Media understands.
Europa League value falls in France in wake of Champions League frenzy
Uefa’s Europa League revenue in France will fall in the 2021-24 cycle given limited interest in the property in the wake of the fierce contest for rights to the top-tier Champions League.
TF1, M6 revert to pre-Euro 2016 per-match rights fee in French Euro 2020 deal
TF1 and M6’s joint acquisition of Euro 2020 free-to-air rights was struck at a similar per-match fee as the one they paid for the last comparable edition of the tournament, in 2012.
Mediapro ‘bias’ claims cast cloud over Champions League award in France
Mediapro’s accusation of impropriety in the Uefa Champions League tender process in France has cast a cloud over a record rights-fee outcome for Uefa in the country. But the agency’s threat to take Uefa to court may not be credible, industry experts told SportBusiness Media.
BCL basketball takes financial hit in France to retain exposure
The Basketball Champions League has suffered a setback in France despite retaining exposure in a two-season renewal of its deal with pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus, SportBusinessMedia understands.
Canal Plus set to recoup Tokyo 2020 outlay in France with Eurosport deal
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus is set to recoup its outlay on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rights in a deal with Discovery-owned Eurosport, SportBusiness Media understands.
Canal Plus has clear run to NHL ice hockey renewal in France
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus faced little competition in renewing its NHL rights, SportBusiness Media understands.
UK, France may drive global Champions League revenue downturn
Uefa, European football’s governing body, could be on the verge of a sharp downturn in Champions League media-rights revenues for the 2021-24 cycle, with specific factors in the key UK and France markets exacerbating a broader price correction already anticipated for similar high-profile properties.
France Télévisions keeps outlay steady in Top 14 Final renewal
Public broadcaster France Télévisions renewed its free-to-air rights to the final of the country’s Top 14 rugby union club competition for the 2019-23 cycle at around the same level as its previous deal, SportBusiness Media understands.
French women’s top-tier handball carve-out may have damaged coverage prospects
The recent carve out of Ligue Féminine de Handball (LFH) rights from the wider package of French handball federation (FFHB) rights may have damaged the LFH’s prospects for coverage after beIN failed to renew their long-standing partnership.
Amazon pays premium in French Open domestic rights play
Internet giant Amazon will pay more than public-service broadcaster France Télévisions for a substantially smaller package of rights to the French Open’s 2021-23 cycle.