French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus and public-service broadcaster France Télévisions have acquired rights for the final of the domestic rugby union Top 14 tournament for four seasons, from 2015-16 to 2018-19.
The Ligue National de Rugby (LNR), the operator of the tournament, awarded pay-television rights to Canal Plus and free-to-air rights to France Télévisions, which will show the coverage on the France 2 channel.
France Télévisions also agreed a deal for live coverage of the 2014-15 Top 14 final. The pay-television rights are held by Canal Plus under a previously-agreed deal.
The LNR said that the collective rights fee for the final will represent a 60-per-cent increase in the next cycle in comparison with the 2011-12 to 2014-15 period.
In January, the LNR awarded Canal Plus rights for other Top 14 matches for the same four-year period, but said that it would take more time to consider bids for the rights to the final of the competition.
The LNR, which has also been considering five offers for the rights to the second-tier Pro D2 competition, will continue to negotiate with the different bidders. The league added that it would award the Pro D2 rights “in the coming weeks” but the bids that have been lodged will ensure that the LNR receives a “dramatically” increased rights fee in the next cycle.