Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique has confirmed the acquisition of French-language rights in sub-Saharan Africa to a series of football tournaments, including the Uefa Champions League, the 2018 Fifa World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
The deal for the Champions League, football’s leading European club competition, will run for three seasons, from 2018-19 to 2020-21. The agreement was struck with Team Marketing, which brokered the deal on behalf of Uefa, football’s European governing body.
Canal Plus has also acquired rights for the Coupe de France domestic club competition for four seasons, from 2018-19 to 2021-22, in a deal with the French Football Federation.
Earlier this week, Canal Plus confirmed a six-season rights deal with the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the French football league, to show the top-tier Ligue 1, second-tier Ligue 2, Coupe de la Ligue knockout competition and the Trophée des Champions pre-season curtain-raiser. The deal was first reported by TV Sports Markets on January 9.
The deal for the 2018 World Cup, which will take place in Russia, was first reported by TV Sports Markets nearly a year ago.
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted by Cameroon.