Canal Plus picks up Women’s World Cup rights

French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has struck a sublicensing deal with commercial broadcaster TF1 for rights to the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

Under the deal, Canal Plus has acquired exclusive pay-television rights for all 52 games from the competition, which will take place in France.

TF1 has retained rights to 25 of the most popular matches, including every game featuring the France national team.

Earlier this week the French Football Federation awarded Canal Plus and commercial broadcaster M6 rights for the country’s leading women’s football and youth-level football properties.

M6 snapped up the rights to lot one, featuring coverage of the French women’s national team, while Canal Plus was awarded lots two and three, covering the D1 top women's domestic division and the French men’s national youth teams, respectively.

The deals will run for five seasons, from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

Canal Plus sports director Thierry Cheleman said the latest deal for the Women’s World Cup rights, following the agreement for the D1 rights, indicated the broadcaster’s “deep commitment” to the development of the sport.