French Watchdog Denies CANAL+ Exclusive beIN Carriage

PARIS: The French antitrust authority Autorité de la Concurrence has ruled against the CANAL+ Group’s proposal for exclusive distribution of beIN Sports in France.

The CANAL+ Group had lobbied for clearance of the acquisition of exclusive broadcasting rights for all independent premium sports-themed channels, in order to conclude a contract on the exclusive distribution of beIN Sports. The request was denied by the French watchdog. The group has now said that it will have to “work on alternative solutions to stop the losses at the French CANAL+ channels.”