It’s official, Canal+ has won the prize by ensuring the renewal this Thursday of its exclusive contract with UEFA for the broadcast of the Champions League and other continental competitions (Europa League and Conference League) over the period 2027-2031.
The encrypted channel, which has held these same rights since 2024, will thus remain a key player in football in France – beyond its TV rights to the Premier League. A real media coup as behemoths such as Amazon, Disney, Apple and Paramount were eyeing the prizes concocted by the European football confederation.
Besides Canal+, the big winner of the day is none other than TF1. According to L’Equipe, the first channel has acquired the rights to the Champions League finals over the same period from 2027 to 2031. With therefore a first major appointment to be honored in spring 2028. In co-broadcast with Canal.
An event that has a cost
By decree, in France, the C1 final is one of the sporting events which must be made accessible by television to as many people as possible. Clearly, then. The same goes for the finals of the other two continental cups if they involve a French club.
Until 2027, this privilege for the Champions League is vested in M6, which was able to broadcast PSG’s coronation last spring at the expense of Inter. To afford such an asset, TF1 would have had to pay “a little less than 2 million euros”, specifies the aforementioned sports daily.
