France

[FR] Canal+ acquires broadcasting rights of Ligue Nationale de Football

IRIS 1996-4:1/27

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

The April issue of the German monthly magazine INFOSAT reports that the French pay-TV broadcaster Canal+ has acquired the broadcasting rights of the soccer games to be played in the Ligue National de Football (LNF) in the next Canal+ five years. The games will be broadcast in 's digital satellite service. To receive them, viewers will need to invest in a satellite dish and a digital decoder. In addition, they will have to pay FF 50 for each game they want to view.

The agreement between Canal+ and the French Football Union would stipulate that Canal+ will broadcast one game live in analogue format on each of the 38 competition days. The nine other games it could broadcast in digital format during evening hours on a pay-per-view basis.

The agreement also contains the possibility for the French Football Union to require from Canal+ the exclusion of viewers in towns where a game is played from the reception of the programme. This would be in the interest of the stadium in which the game is played because it is expected that fans excluded from watching the game on television, will come to the stadium.

One-third of the revenues will go to Canal+, one-third to the LNF and one-third will be used for the technical realisation of the broadcasts.