FIFA opened an invitation to tender in Italy for the media rights to the 2019 Women's World Cup as well as all editions of the U17 and U20 World Cups, the U17 and U20 Women's World Cups, the Futsal World Cup and the Beach Soccer World Cup taking place from '19-22. ITTs were also launched in France (including French overseas territories) and Scandinavia (FIFA).
Digital TV service Cytavision announced it secured the audiovisual rights to the Premier League for Cyprus through the '21-22 season. The package licensed by the EPL includes more matches than ever before, a total of up to 230 games per season (Cyta).
IN FRANCE: The French Professional Football League (LFP) opened the tender for the TV rights to Ligue 2 for the ’20-24 cycle. The LFP expects a “significant increase” on the value of the rights, currently held by beIN Sports. In a release, the LFP noted that last season, Ligue 2 increased match attendance by 5% (LE PARISIEN, 11/6).
French broadcaster TF1 acquired the exclusive rights to the men’s and women’s World Handball Finals from ’19-25. TF1 will show each final “only if the French national team qualifies.” The agreement was negotiated by Lagardère Sports, which handles the rights of the Int’l Handball Federation. No financial details were released, but TF1 will only pay for the rights to the finals in which the men’s or women’s national team plays (MEDIA SPORTIF, 11/5).
The LFP announced the Ligue 1 match between Monaco and Olympique Lyonnais will be played at 1pm “in order to be broadcast in primetime in Asia.” LFP General Dir Didier Quillot said, “This initiative demonstrates the Chinese public’s growing interest in Ligue 1, which benefits in China from unrivaled coverage thanks to broadcast agreements with CCTV and PPTV” (L’ÉQUIPE, 11/6).
