Canal Plus to offer Ligue 1, Top 14 free-to-air treatment

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus is set to offer free-to-air coverage of the top divisions of domestic football and rugby union, Ligue 1 and the Top 14, by utilising its general entertainment channel C8.

Under the ‘C8 fête Noël avant l’heure’ promotion, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 clash against Troyes on November 29 will be broadcast by both Canal Plus and C8.

The Top 14 meeting between Toulon and Lyon will then be afforded similar treatment on December 2.

Nathalie Boy de la Tour, president of the French Football League (LFP), said: “The audiences for the matches and the magazine programming have had a very marked increase since the beginning of the season. This unprecedented initiative will offer new exposure to the Conforama Ligue 1 and will allow us to reach new audiences.”