Public-service broadcaster France Télévisions has renewed its rights deal with the Fédération Française de Rugby for the domestic rights to the national team’s Test rugby union matches, in a four-year deal, from 2012-13 to 2015-16.
France Télévisions will broadcast the team’s annual November Test matches and its warm-up matches for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, plus the home games of the women’s and under-20 teams in the Six Nations tournament.
Commercial broadcasters TF1 and M6 also submitted offers for the rights. The initial bid deadline was January 26 this year.
The FFR, the French rugby federation, also awarded rights to the Fédérale 1 championship, the top tier of amateur rugby union in France, to Eurosport France, the French arm of pan-regional broadcaster Eurosport.
A third package of rights, to Barbarians matches in France in 2012-13 only, has not yet been sold.
The federation has accepted an offer from the IMG agency to sell its international rights.