Canal Plus outbids beIN for top two TV packages in France
PARIS: Canal Plus has acquired rights in France for the two main packages of the next cycle of domestic rights for Ligue 1, the country’s top division of football, while rival pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has acquired the other four packages.
According to the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the French football league, the value of Ligue 1’s rights will increase to €726.5m ($1bn) per season under the new deal – a 20-per-cent increase on the current cycle.
Canal Plus and beIN Sports also acquired a package each for rights to the second-tier Ligue 2, with those deals worth a total of €22m per season.
The agreements will run for four years, from 2016-17 to 2019-20.
Canal Plus has acquired packages one and two in the tender. Package one includes 28 first-choice matches, 10 second-choice games and 38 third choice matches per season plus a Saturday and Sunday evening highlights programme. Package two includes 28 matches and a Sunday evening magazine programme.
BeIN Sports has acquired packages three, four, five and six. Package three includes 22 matches, including 12 on a shared basis, plus three magazine programmes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Package four features three multi-game match days (in the 19th, 37th and 38th rounds of the tournament) plus the Trophée des Champions game between the league and cup winners. Package five includes magazine programmes from Monday to Friday while package six comprises on-demand coverage of near-live matches and magazine programmes.
LFP president Frédéric Thiriez said: “The market has spoken. The price was set by the buyers after a fair competition. With this increase of 20 per cent, France is on the European podium – the place it deserves. We are happy to keep our two major partners and our clubs and broadcasters will have the visibility they need.”
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