France

The French Football League (LFP) has extended its partnership with video-sharing platform YouTube.

Formula One Management has increased its media-rights income from France following last week’s free-to-air deal with commercial broadcaster TF1.

TF1 has signalled its interest in acquiring rights to the 2024 summer Olympic Games in Paris, while fellow French commercial broadcaster M6 is also interested, according to Les Echos.

Yousef Al-Obaidly, deputy chief executive at beIN Media Group and president of beIN Sports France, has said the pay-television broadcaster hopes the French Football League (LFP) launches a new rights tender as late as possible, noting that it will be “rational” in what is expected to be increased competition in the process.

Uefa secured increases for various national-team media rights in recent deals covering France, Ireland and Romania.

IMG’s packaging of Euroleague and Eurocup basketball rights has led to another big increase, this time in France from a deal with SFR Sport

Formula One will return to TF1 in 2018 after the French commercial broadcaster signed a multi-year deal for rights to the motor-racing series.

French telecommunications company Altice has acquired rights for the EuroLeague and EuroCup basketball tournaments.

Italian broadcaster Mediaset and major shareholder Fininvest are claiming €3bn ($3.6bn) in damages from French media group Vivendi.

The French football federation increased the value of its domestic Coupe de France media rights by about 33 per cent in a joint renewal with France Télévisions and Eurosport.

French free-to-air sports broadcaster L'Équipe has agreed a deal with European football’s governing body Uefa for a package of national team rights incorporating the qualifying campaigns for Euro 2020 and the 2022 Fifa World Cup, as well as the Nations League.

Altice has increased its stake in fellow French telecommunications company SFR to more than 95 per cent and plans to make an offer to buy out the remaining shares.

French media group Vivendi has confirmed plans to form an Italian pay-television platform in association with its Telecom Italia (TIM) and Groupe Canal subsidiaries.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has extended rights deals with public-service broadcaster France Télévisions and sports broadcaster Eurosport for the Coupe de France club knockout tournament.

Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions and the Eurosport France channel have agreed a deal to retain rights to the Coupe de France club football knockout tournament, according to L’Équipe.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which operates the French football league, has renewed rights deals with pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports and online media company Webedia for coverage of e-Ligue 1, a nationwide esports competition.

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has renewed a rights deal for golf’s PGA Tour.

French telecommunications company Orange has expanded a partnership with pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus.