SFR launches sports platforms in France

French telecommunications company SFR-Numericable has launched a suite of sports channels following the completion of its acquisition of Altice Media Group France.

SFR-Numericable last month sealed the acquisition of Altice Media Group France, which operates a series of television channels and other media assets. It announced in April that it planned to launch media services, including SFR Sport, following the transfer of purchase.

Five channels have been launched under the SFR Sport banner. SFR Sport 2 carries the English Premiership rugby union competition, the French Pro A and Pro B basketball leagues, tennis and skiing; while SFR Sport 3 specialises in extreme sports such as surfing, wakeboarding, inline skating and BMX cycling.

SFR Sport 4K will provide ultra-high-definition television coverage of key sports events, while SFR Sport 5 will concentrate on combat sports and martial arts. SFR Sport 1 will launch in August for the new English Premier League football season. Altice in November secured rights in France to the Premier League covering three seasons, from 2016-17 to 2018-19.

BFM-TV Sport, a sports news channel, launched ahead of the start of the Uefa Euro 2016 national team football tournament in France on Friday. It will sit under the SFR News banner – one of SFR’s five pillars of its new strategy, alongside SFR Sport, SFR Presse, SFR Play and SFR Family.