Canal Plus snaps up European qualifier rights – report

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has acquired media rights for international football qualifying matches for the Uefa Euro 2016 and Fifa 2018 World Cup tournaments, according to daily newspaper l’Equipe.

The deal, which will run for four years, from 2014-15 to 2017-18, excludes matches featuring the France national team.

The rights will be exploited primarily on the Sport Plus channel.

The agreement, which was brokered by the CAA Eleven agency on behalf of football’s European governing body, Uefa, covers a total of 526 matches.

Commercial broadcaster TF1 acquired rights for the France national team games over the same four-year period back in December.