beIN Sports France has confirmed the return of UEFA Champions League football to its channels from the 2021-2024 seasons, having secured live coverage for almost all of the elite tournament’s games.

beIN Sports has won ‘Lot B’ of the auction, which comprises the exclusive rights to 104 of the 138 Champions League games, including many guaranteed French games, together with highlights to all the matches. The deal with UEFA brings the Champions League back to beIN Sports France, with the broadcaster having previously been the home of the competition between 2012-2018.

Canal+ will broadcast the remaining 34 games, whilst the final – as a protected event – will additionally be available on FTA television,with commercial broadcaster TF1 understood to have secured coverage rights.

French sports daily L’Equipe suggests that Canal+ and beIN Sports are paying a record sum of €375 million per season, compared with €315 million for the current period, awarded to Altice Group’s RMC Sport.

Yousef Al-Obaidly, President of beIN Sports France, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have brought the UEFA Champions League back home to beIN Sports France. But this is also an important statement to the crowded broadcast market – beIN offers the most comprehensive and complete catalogue of sports content to consumers in France, and by some margin. But from a business point of view, we are determined to make economically sensible and proportionate bids in the interests of our long term financial security and our subscribers. And from a consumer perspective, we present the rights that we have with the very best talent and pundits in the industry, delivered to our consumers how they want it, when they want it – including through our OTT platform beIN Connect. We are immensely proud to be the leading sports broadcaster in France.”

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