With “great anticipation and surprise from observers,” the French National Rugby League (LNR) announced it is launching its tender offer for the TV rights of the Top14 for the ’19-20 to ’22-23 seasons, according to MEDIA SPORTIF. In a press release the LNR cited “recent developments in the TV sports rights ownership sector” for why it is launching the tender. The LNR is “hoping to profit from the Altice group’s will to be more involved in rugby.” The league said that it “wants to improve visibility over a longer-term strategic plan, which it plans on discussing and agreeing on in July.” The LNR presented the composition of its four lots, “each of which offer a large number of matches and shows.” Current TV rights holder Canal+ pays €74M ($83.8M) per season “to broadcast 26 days, including 182 regular season matches and the five playoff matches,” making its deal worth €395,721 ($448,154) per match (MEDIA SPORTIF, 4/18). ADVANCED TELEVISION’s Chris Forrester reported one complication is the “on-going cooperation between Canal+ and beIN Sports which might well limit the amount of cash on the table.” Also, “how favourably -- or otherwise -- France’s competition regulators would look upon any ‘monopoly’ should here be limited bidders for the games” (ADVANCED TELEVISION, 4/18).
