2003-03-07: CANAL+ GROUP Wins Pay TV Rights to Champions League for Next Three Seasons

Paris – March 7, 2003 — The CANAL+ GROUP is proud to have received exclusive pay-TV broadcasting rights from UEFA for the 2003/2004, 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons of the Champions League.

The agreement negotiated under particularly favorable financial terms will allow the CANAL+ GROUP to broadcast all Champions League matches (except one) and all its magazine programs every week, starting with the next season.

CANAL+ subscribers will have access to the essence of the Champions League matches, while subscribers to the Group’s channels and services will be able to view nearly the entire competition.

The new agreement means that the CANAL+ GROUP will be able to introduce a new expanded offer, with greater breadth and depth:

On CANAL+
• Viewers will be offered one complete evening a week with Le Grand Match (the Big Match) of the Champions League broadcasting exclusive full live coverage in a program named La Grande Soirée (The Big Evening), also featuring a second match broadcast in wide-screen format together with highlights of all the other matches.

• During the same evening, CANAL+ VERT will also broadcast an exclusive full live match.

• New: On another evening, CANAL+ will broadcast a match in wide-screen format, followed by an exclusive magazine program with highlights of all the evening’s matches.

On SPORT+
• Another exclusive full live match will also be broadcast on the same evening as the Big Evening on CANAL+.

On KIOSQUE
• Exclusive full live coverage every evening, on a pay-per-view basis, of all the other matches*.

*Except the matches broadcast by CANAL+, CANAL+ VERT, SPORT+ and the single match broadcast by TF1.

In granting these rights, UEFA has acknowledged the attention and dedication that the CANAL+ GROUP and its subscribers have always shown for soccer, and the quality of its presentation on the Group’s channels, as well as the expertise of the CANAL+ Sports Department staff.

Through the agreement, the CANAL+ GROUP intends to continue offering subscribers the very best of soccer, with an even greater selection, while maintaining the same balance with its exceptional film offering.


  • Please click here to read the press release (PDF format)