Al Jazeera, Eurosport share Ligue 2, beIN Sport reportedly close to CanalSat deal

Al Jazeera’s French sports channel beIN Sport and Eurosport have secured rights to broadcast Ligue 2 football for the next four seasons.

BeIN Sport will air nine matches including the week’s top fixture, while Eurosport will air one match each Monday evening. According to Le Parisien’s BRL TV blog, citing unnamed sources, the two deals could net the professional football league, the LFP, a record €23 million a year.

According to various French press reports, there is a growing expectation that beIN Sport will soon come to an agreement for distribution via CanalSat, despite the intense rivalry between the two groups. Until now, Al Jazeera Sport has demanded minimum guarantees judged to be too high by Canal Plus, but there are signs that the Qatar-based broadcaster has softened its stance in recent days, according to the reports.