France Télévisions secured the deal on Saturday, after France beat Sweden on Friday to qualify for the final. The final, in Malmö, Sweden, was broadcast live by both France Télévisions, on secondary channel France 2, and Canal Plus. It was the only match from this year’s Championships to have been shown live on free-to-air television in France.
The match drew 5.5 million viewers on France 2, a 29-per-cent share, and 1.8 million viewers on Canal Plus, representing 37 per cent of its subscribers. Canal Plus’s audience matched that for the semi-final, which was a record for the broadcaster for a handball match.