France

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has struck a sublicensing deal with commercial broadcaster TF1 for rights to the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus is set to offer free-to-air coverage of the top divisions of domestic football and rugby union, Ligue 1 and the Top 14, by utilising its general entertainment channel C8.

The French Football Federation has awarded commercial broadcaster M6 and pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus rights for the country’s leading women’s football and youth-level football properties.

Patrick Drahi has moved to regain control of French telecommunications company Altice, which operates pay-television broadcaster SFR Sport, following a significant reduction in the firm’s share price triggered by a profit warning issued earlier this month.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which operates the French football league, has opted to delay launching the sales process for the next cycle of domestic rights for Ligue 1, the country’s top division, until 2018.

French web content specialist group Webedia has announced the launch of an esports television channel which it claims will be the first of its kind in France.

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has extended its rights deal for the Sevens Series, the national team competition organised by rugby union’s governing body World Rugby.

Italian telecommunications group Telecom Italia (TIM) has finalised the creation of a joint venture with French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus.

French telecommunications company Altice has agreed a rights deal with British boxing promoter Matchroom through which its pay-television broadcaster, SFR Sport, will hold the exclusive rights in France and Belgium to heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s next three fights.

Italian telecommunications group Telecom Italia (TIM) has approved the creation of a joint venture with French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus that is set to compete for sports rights in Italy, while it has also appointed a new chief executive as part of ongoing development efforts.

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