France

Chinese internet company Tencent has signed an exclusive digital media partnership with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) for coverage of the French Open grand slam tournament at Roland-Garros.

French media group Vivendi has secured European Union antitrust approval for its plan to gain control of Telecom Italia after the European Commission said it has agreed to sell the Italian telecommunications company’s majority stake in broadcasting services group Persidera.

Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has bolstered its tennis coverage by acquiring rights to men’s ATP events the Paris Masters and World Tour Finals.

The Euroleague will face a litmus test for its new product this summer as it takes its media rights to market in France and Italy – two markets from which the competition is desperate to earn greater revenue.

European Professional Club Rugby, the organising body of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup rugby union competitions, has extended its rights deals with French pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports and public-service broadcaster France Télévisions.

French public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has renewed a rights deal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance motor-racing event.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has launched a new mobile application that will allow fans to stream coverage of the upcoming World Surfing Games.

Canal Plus’ loss of Champions League rights – announced late this week – is a blow to the broadcaster, softened slightly by its recent extension of Formula One rights.

French pay-television broadcaster SFR Sport has secured exclusive rights to the Uefa Champions League and Europa League club football competitions from the 2018-19 season, ousting rival operators beIN Sports and Canal Plus as the rights-holder.

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has agreed a three-year extension to its rights deal with the Formula One motor-racing championship.

Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has agreed a rights deal for the final of the 2016-17 Uefa Women’s Champions League, which will be contested by two French football teams for the first time.

International sports broadcaster Eurosport and French digital-terrestrial television channel L’Équipe have retained rights in France to events organised by the International Biathlon Union.

Strong competition is expected between France’s main pay-television broadcasters for Uefa Champions League, Formula One and European rugby rights, with all three properties currently on the market.

French media company Vivendi has said it is considering legal action after Italian communications authority AGCOM ordered it to cut its stake in either Italian broadcaster Mediaset or telecommunications firm Telecom Italia within a year.

French commercial broadcaster TF1 has elected to sublicense its rights for the 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup national team football tournament to pay-television broadcaster SFR Sport, according to L’Équipe.

A collective of major broadcasters and Europe’s leading football organisations have joined forces to call on the G7 group of industrial nations to take action to tackle internet piracy.