French free-to-air sports broadcaster L'Équipe has agreed a deal with European football’s governing body Uefa for a package of national team rights incorporating the qualifying campaigns for Euro 2020 and the 2022 Fifa World Cup, as well as the Nations League.
Under the four-season deal running from 2018-19 to 2021-22, L'Équipe has secured rights to all qualifiers not featuring the French national team, as well as friendly matches that will be incorporated into the new Nations League competition.
During the four years of the contract, L'Équipe said it will broadcast during international weeks up to 11 matches per week, including seven at the prime time slot of 8.45pm CET and four additional games at weekends. In 2020, potentially 66 international matches will be offered live on the channel.
L'Équipe has hailed the contract, which is currently held by pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus in the current four-season cycle, as a demonstration of its growing ambitions.
“We were criticised for not broadcasting premium sports and we are now coming to football on a very high level,” Arnaud de Courcelles, head of the television division of L'Équipe, said.
“In terms of image, it will create a change in status. We will gain power. We will capture an audience that, at this time, is weaned on football.”
In France, commercial broadcasters M6 and TF1 jointly acquired rights to France national team matches in European Qualifiers for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, as well as Nations League matches in 2018-19 and 2020-21.