Bidding war goes on for European Cup TV rights

PLANS for a 16-team longdiscussed World Club Cup starting in 2025 will add intrigue to drawn-out broadcaster bids for TV rights to the European Champions and Challenge Cup competitions in France.

The Daily Telegraph reported this week that talks were close to being finalised on the new quadrennial global competition, which would replace the knockout stages of the European Cup in

years when the British & Irish Lions are on tour. A decision is expected by the start of the new season in September.

This would have a knockon effect on Champions and Challenge Cup TV rights in France, which are up for tender. As it stands, in the week the pool phase fixtures for the 2022/23 season were announced, no French broadcaster is in place to show the two European competitions for the coming campaign, or the three that follow – which would, if the global competition does go ahead, take in the inaugural tournament.

A deal was expected to have been completed by the end of June, but Midi Olympique reported the deadline was extended because tournament organiser EPCR’s reserve price for the competitions had not been reached.

beIN Sports has held broadcast rights to both the Champions and Challenge Cup competitions since 2014, and has passed on two matches a week to free-to-air France Televisions, but its latest deal ended after last season’s finals in Marseille. It is reportedly keen to continue broadcasting European

matches, having lost the rights to the English Premiership and the URC’s predecessor, the PRO14, in recent years.

But French pay-TV market rival, and Top 14 and ProD2 broadcaster, Canal Plus is keen to regain European Rugby rights it held for allbut two years between 1995 and 2014 and include the international club rugby competition in its roster, which will include Champions League football from 2024.

Meanwhile, Nordic streaming platform Viaplay this week acquired broadcaster Premier Sports, which broadcasts both Top 14 and URC rugby in UK and Ireland.

Premier Sports also has rights to La Liga and UEFA Nations League, MLS, and NASCAR.