TV rights for French women’s football are now on sale

Bids are now open with a closing date of 4th of May.

The rights for France Women national teams and the D1 Arkema are to be sold for the 2023/24 to 2026/27 period, while the rights for for the Trophee des Championnes are to be sold for 2024 to 2026. The rights for this trophy have already been sold for 2023.

During the recent press conference, Jean-Michel Aulas who is one of the four members of the women’s football committee mentioned that D1 Arkema teams will have to play a minimum of three games in their “premium” stadium during the season, in order to improve the quality offered to the viewers. 

The current tv right holder Canal Plus had also asked to have stadiums with a covered stand. Yes not all the clubs in D1 have one! A platform for the tv crews, as they have to build one from scratch at certain grounds, minimum lighting and quality pitches. Those are basic tv requests that have not been fulfilled in the last couple of  seasons.

The FFF has split the  tv rights in six packages:

France Women National Team one package  for 2023/24 to 2026/27

10 to 14 games per season.

Euro 2025 in Switzerland qualifiers. FIFA World Cup 2027 qualifiers.

Pre-Olympics 2024 friendlies. France are already qualified as hosts.

Nations League 2024 from Septembre 2023 with the final four games in February 2024, should France make it.

Must be on free to air tv.

D1 Arkema four packages for 2023/24 to 2026/27 including one for the newly created play-offs.

Up to 100% of the available 132 games

Four play-off games. Semi-finals, final and third place play-off that decides the last champions league place.

10 games that must be on free to air tv.

Trophee des Championnes one package for three years 2024,2025 and 2026

This is the game between the D1 Arkema winner and the French women’s Cup winner.

Game must be shown on free to air tv.

The FFF is clearly trying to improve a product that they have struggled to promote very well.  It will be interesting to see if there are many bids and if the rights sell for a good price. It is hard to gauge the demand with the games currently being shown on pay tv Canal Plus. Getting free to view tv channels interested is not an easy task.

For more information in French:

https://www.footofeminin.fr/Droits-TV-Les-appels-d-offres-lances_a18516.html