Mediapro & TF1 Launch Football Channel

Mediapro Group and TF1 Group have come together to launch the TELEFOOT channel, dedicated to football.

TELEFOOT is positioned as “the new home of French football,” as the professional league will return in August. The channel will offer live and exclusive coverage of the French Ligue 1, with more than 80 percent of matches, including the ten best matches and the Sunday evening game, a comprehensive weekday and weekend offering and the insights of experts. The channel will also broadcast eight matches of the French Ligue 2 per day.

The deal is based on a four-year renewable partnership that includes a brand license for the use of the name of TF1’s long-running Téléfoot show, which will air on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on the new channel. The partnership will also see the production of several Téléfoot Vintage programs, reliving the best moments in the history of French football. There’s also La quotidienne – Téléfoot, a daily digital version of TF1’s Sunday show.

Jaume Roures, chairman and founder of the Mediapro Group, and Julien Bergeaud, CEO of Mediapro Sport France, said: “We are very pleased to announce the creation of TELEFOOT, the new home of French football, 100 percent dedicated to football, broadcasted seven days a week. This partnership with TF1, France’s leading audiovisual channel, is the natural alliance of two groups recognized in football. Thanks to our editorial know-how and technological expertise at the cutting edge of innovation, we will offer fans a new look at football. TELEFOOT, our channel dedicated to French football, will be the must-see destination to follow everything about French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 and to know everything about French football.”

Gilles Pélisson, chairman and CEO of the TF1 Group, and François Pellissier, director of sports, added: “We are delighted with this alliance with Mediapro, an internationally recognised group in football and audiovisual production, and we are happy to support them in their launch in France. The creation of a channel entirely dedicated to football is a further illustration of TF1 Group’s commitment alongside French football players to promote the values of one of the most popular sports, which is dear to the TF1 Group. This partnership is an opportunity to showcase one of our finest brands, which has been bringing audiences together for over forty years. We are also pleased to be taking part in this adventure with our best, most cutting-edge and most popular experts, including our commentator duo Grégoire Margotton and Bixente Lizarazu. This partnership is a testament to our expertise in creating high value-added sports content.”