France: Canal+ takes Mediapro to court "for unequal treatment" regarding distribution of Téléfoot

"Taking note of the conditions imposed on it by the Mediapro group for the distribution of the Téléfoot channel, the Canal+ group is forced to appeal to the commercial court to put an end to the inequality of treatment to which it is subject and to obtain conditions fair and non-discriminatory," announced the pay and free-TV group Canal+ on 18/09/2020.

"The preconditions for any negotiation imposed by the Mediapro group on the Canal+ group are similar to impossible conditions, are unrealistic in the current market conditions, and aim to exclude the Canal+ group from the distribution of the particularly attractive football offer of Téléfoot. A first hearing is scheduled for 24/09/2020," stated Canal+.

Mediapro has signed distribution agreements with all French ISPs (SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Free and Orange) in recent weeks. "Discussions with Canal+ are today at a standstill and I deplore this," stated Julien Bergeaud, managing director of Mediapro Sport France, on Europe 1 radio on 09/09/2020, four days before Paris Saint-Germain - Olympique de Marseille (0-1), in Matchday 3 of the…