France

Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, looks at television audiences for Super Bowl XLIX

Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has agreed a sublicensing deal with pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group for rights to the 2015 Track Cycling World Championships.

Cyril Linette, director of sports at French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus, has been appointed director general of sports daily L’Equipe.

Host Broadcast Services, a fully owned subsidiary of the Infront Sports & Media agency, has been selected by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to serve as host broadcaster of its 2015 Track World Championships, with the event set to feature onboard bike cameras for the first time.

French digital-terrestrial television channel L’Equipe 21 has acquired rights for the remainder of the 2015 season of the World Rally Championship motor racing series.

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has agreed an exclusive carriage deal with pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport.

Rugby league’s Super League, which comprises clubs from England and France, has agreed new broadcast deals in Australia, New Zealand, France, North America and the Middle East.

Fox International Channels, the broadcast division of media company 21st Century Fox, has strengthened its operations in the UK and France by appointing two new senior members of staff.

The Ligue Nationale de Rugby last week secured an increase of 4.2 per cent in the value of the media rights of the top-tier domestic league, the Top 14, despite limited competition.

Interview with Emmanuel Eschalier, chief executive officer at the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, on the league’s new Top 14 domestic deal with pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus.

French basic-tier broadcaster Ma Chaîne Sport has bounced back from losing several rights properties in recent months by agreeing deals for football and tennis competitions.

Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, reviews the most-watched events of 2014 in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

International pay-television channel RTL9 has acquired rights for the Bellator mixed martial arts (MMA) series.

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has been awarded rights by the Ligue National de Rugby (LNR) for the domestic rugby union Top 14 tournament for four seasons, from 2015-16 to 2018-19.

Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has acquired rights in France for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in a sublicensing deal with commercial broadcaster TF1, according to French newspaper Le Figaro.

Six broadcasters have made offers to the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, which operates the French professional rugby union league, for the rights to the top-tier Top 14 and second-tier Pro D2 divisions, according to L’Equipe.