Subscription broadcaster beIN Sports has increased its portfolio of broadcast rights in France to Fina- and LEN-sanctioned events in a new agreement with Eurovision Sport, the sports arm of the European Broadcasting Union.
The broadcaster has also renewed an agreement to show French Swimming Federation (FFN) events.
Announcing the agreements, beIN said today (Friday): “Up until 2021, the premium broadcaster will offer subscribers each month live coverage of the top women’s and men’s swimming events.
“This includes the French 50m Swimming Championships (in April), which will be qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the European Aquatics Championships (in May), the Fina World Swimming Championships 25m (in December), but also the six stages of the Fina Swimming World Cup (from September to November).”
The rights secured also cover Fina competitions in diving (including the Fina Diving World Series and World Cups), open water and water polo (including the men’s and women’s Fina Water Polo World League Super Final).
Eurovision Sport’s current rights agreement with Fina runs from 2018 to 2021 and includes media rights in Europe to Fina’s portfolio of events.
At the time of its renewal (in October 2016), Eurovision Sport appointed global sports media company ESPN Media Distribution as its exclusive media agent to jointly market, sell and distribute the rights for a wide range of Fina events.
Eurovision Sport is LEN’s worldwide broadcast rights-holder under a four-year deal running from 2017 to 2020.
The FFN’s previous agreement with beIN Sports ran from 2016 to 2019. That deal allowed the broadcaster to air the French Open, French Swimming Championships (25m and 50m) and the four stages of the FFN Golden Tour.