Mediapro secures Téléfoot distribution with Bouygues Telecom

Spanish agency and production group Mediapro has reached a distribution agreement with French telco Bouygues Telecom to carry its new Téléfoot subscription service.

Téléfoot, which will showcase coverage from French football’s Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, will be available to Bouygues Telecom’s television and OTT subscribers (website and app) from August 26 .

Téléfoot is set to go live on Monday, but the first live match broadcast is scheduled for August 21, taking in that evening’s Ligue 1 clash between Olympique de Marseille and Saint-Étienne.

Mediapro last month announced a Téléfoot distribution deal with telco Altice’s SFR platform covering the 2020-24 cycle. The agency and Altice have also agreed a co-broadcast deal for Uefa club competitions next season. Mediapro’s carriage deal with SFR followed reports that the agency is close to agreeing Téléfoot distribution with social media giant Facebook.

Mediapro is creating the service on the back of its €780m-per-season acquisition of the bulk of Ligue 1 broadcast rights from 2020-21 to 2023-24. It is aiming to attract 3.5 million subscribers.

An agreement has also been reached with internet entertainment giant Netflix to create a joint consumer offer incorporating Téléfoot.

Toward the end of last month, carriage negotiations with Free and Orange were said to “have advanced little”, according to L’Équipe, while those with Canal Plus were said to have reached a stalemate.

The combined Téléfoot-Netflix package, which is priced at €29.90 per month, is also likely to be offered through Bouygues Telecom’s packages, reports L’Équipe.

Earlier this week, Mediapro unveiled the subscription pricing details for Téléfoot, including a mobile pass for smartphone and tablet devices priced at €14.90 per month, with no long-term commitment.