BeIN Sports and Canal Plus retain French Champions League rights – report

French pay-television broadcasters beIN Sports and Canal Plus have retained their rights to the Uefa Champions League club football competition from 2015-16 to 2017-18, according to L’Equipe.

Earlier this week, the French newspaper said bidding had proceeded to a second round with commercial broadcaster M6 also in contention.

Canal Plus and beIN Sports are the current rights-holders to the Champions League in France, paying annual fees of €50m ($69m) and €61m respectively. L’Equipe said the annual value of the new contract should rise by around 30 per cent.

The newspaper added that bidding for the Europa League rights, which run for the same three-year period, from 2015-16 to 2017-18, has also entered a second round.

Currently, the Europa League is broadcast by beIN Sports and M6, which pay a total of €16m annually.