2021-24 Champions League TV rights in France: "Canal+ will not outbid" (A. de Puyfontaine, Vivendi)

"The group is interested but we will not outbid, it would make no economic sense," said Arnaud de Puyfontaine, CEO of Vivendi, the parent company of the French pay-TV group Canal+, on 17/10/2019, about the call for tenders for the 2021-24 Champions League broadcasting rights in France, launched on 14/10/2019 with a deadline for submitted bids of 18/11/2019.

The media and telecommunications group Altice Europe holds the broadcasting rights to the Champions League and the Europa League in France over the 2018-2021 cycle, for an estimated €350m per season (including €315m for the Champions League). The pay-TV groups Canal+ (€50m per season) and beIN Sports (€90m per season) previously held the broadcasting rights in France for the Champions League over the 2015-2018 cycle.

The call for tenders for the Champions League includes four lots, according to the French daily Le Monde:
- the best Tuesday night fixture;
- the best Wednesday night fixture and the final;
- the other matches;
- the final (free-to-air).

The Chinese-Spanish audiovisual group Mediapro, which has the rights to broadcast…