Canal Plus, the Vivendi-owned France-based international broadcast giant, has renewed its broadcasting rights for French soccer’s top-tier League 1 in Sub-Saharan Africa. The pay-TV giant has extended their contract until the end of the 2028-29 season.
The renewal comes just before the start of the 2024-25 campaign on August 16. This move prevents a blackout in one of Ligue 1's strongest regional markets and ensures that fans can continue to enjoy their favorite sport uninterrupted.
Since purchasing broadcasting rights for around €80 million ($95.4 million) per year at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Canal Plus Afrique has been airing Ligue 1 games across French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa.
A broad reach across Africa
Canal Plus operates both directly and through wholly and partially-owned subsidiaries across over twenty-five African countries. As of late-2023, these operations accounted for more than eight million subscribers on this continent.
Ligue 1 is particularly popular among African audiences due to its large roster of African national team players - arguably one of Europe's largest - many with roots from various other countries including France itself.
During recent biennial Africa Cup Nations continental competitions, up to fifty-two players from eighteen different Ligue teams were called upon to compete; notable participants included DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba from Marseille and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain.
A twist in domestic broadcasting rights
Interestingly, despite renewing its rights for broadcasting Ligue 1 games in Sub-Saharan Africa, Canal Plus decided not to bid for domestic broadcasting rights within France itself during this same period (2024-29). This decision was influenced by a long-standing dispute with the French soccer governing body, LFP.
The broadcaster had informed the LFP of its decision not to bid in September 2023 following a drawn-out court battle over the cost of its rights for the 2021-24 period and terms of its sublicensing deal with pay-TV rival BeIN Sports.
The upcoming 2024-25 season will mark a significant shift for Canal Plus as it will be the first time since 1984 that it won't broadcast its own coverage. However, subscribers need not worry as they will still have access to all Ligue 1 games due to recent deals struck with new domestic rightsholders BeIN and DAZN. These agreements ensure that Canal Plus subscribers can continue enjoying their favorite sport through these respective services.
