Mediapro secures Europa League rights for France following Canal+ deal

Mediapro has secured rights to the second package of Europa League and Europa Conference League football matches for France for the 2021-24 competitions, covering 260 matches in total.

The Spanish broadcaster and producer already holds the exclusive rights to the bulk of top-tier French domestic Ligue 1 football over the same period.

The Europa League and Europa Conference League deals follows rival pay TV provider Canal+’s securing of the best fixture from each competition for each match day.

Mediapro said that its new football channel would offer the European matches alongside its Ligue 1 coverage. The service will broadcast nine Ligue 1 games and eight Ligue 2 matches, as well as news, debate and analysisprogrammes and reports.

The  new format of the UEFA Europa League and the upcoming Europa Conference League will get underway in the 2021-2022 season with new time slots for Thursdays and matches to be played at 16:30, 18:45 and 21:00, increasing the range of matches on offer to viewers.

Canal+ has secured a deal that will enable it to broadcast the top fixture from the Europa League for the 2021-24 seasons, or the first choice of the future Europa Conference League, the new third-tier European football competition that UEFA plans to launch in 2021. The pay TV operator will also be able to air the finals of both competitions, giving it 16 matches in total per season.

Last year, Mediapro secured three of the seven packages on offer, including lots 1 and 2, comprising the top 10 matches and a choice of 28 further matches, and Friday evening and Saturday’s 17:00 matches respectively.

Mediapro has also secured Lot 4, including Sunday early afternoon matches and four matches from 15:00 on Sundays.