French digital-terrestrial television channel L’Équipe 21 is set to be rebranded after the move was approved by the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel, France’s media regulator.
L’Équipe 21 is now set to be known simply as L’Équipe to reflect the brand name of the French sports newspaper. The name change was first proposed at the beginning of the year.
L’Équipe 21 signed its most recent rights deal last month when it agreed a one-season extension to its contract with the French Ice Hockey Federation.
The agreement runs for the 2016-17 season and includes one game per month from the domestic Ligue Magnus club competition, the final of the Coupe de France and two friendly matches of the French national team.
L’Équipe 21 will also cover Rouen and Gap’s games in the 2016-17 edition of pan-European competition the Champions Hockey League.
The agreement also includes a qualifying tournament for the 2018 winter Olympic Games. The event will be held from September 1-4 in Oslo, Norway, and L’Équipe 21 will broadcast France’s games against Italy, Kazakhstan and the host nation.