FTA LIST EXTENDED IN FRANCE
As we have remarked elsewhere, sport and broadcasting are regarded as “a marriage made in heaven”. And this is particularly true of football coverage in France, with women’s football competitions now increasing in popularity in France and elsewhere.
In June 1997, the European Parliament and the Council adopted a revised “Television Without Frontiers” Directive, under which, amongst other things, so-called events of major importance for society, which include sports events, are to be broadcast freely to the public, that is, on FTA (‘Free to Air’) TV channels, even where exclusive rights to broadcast these events have been purchased by pay-TV channels.
Each European Union Member State may draw up and publish a list of such events and most of them have done so, including France.
In 2004, the French Government issued a decree prohibiting the exclusive broadcasting of certain “major importance” events on pay-TV channels. Consequently, if these events are televised, they must be broadcast live and in their entirety on an FTA (accès libre) channel.
Recently, under Decree n°2024-699 of 5 July 2024, the French Government has updated its list of sporting events that need to be made available FTA domestically.
The latest list now includes more matches featuring France at the men’s Rugby World Cup, as well as the national team’s summer tours, and action from French teams across handball, volleyball, and basketball.
It is also interesting to note that the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League football tournament has also been added to the list, even if a French team is not present.
The latest list is the outcome of a review by the French Government, which was launched two years ago.
The list now extends across the Olympics and Paralympics, football, rugby union, tennis, cycling, basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, skiing, and motor racing, through the French Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The French Audiovisual Regulator ‘ARCOM’ made the following comments on the updating of the list:
“A broader reflection on the methods of allocating sports rights could be initiated given the changes in the audiovisual landscape.”
Not surprisingly, the list focuses on French teams at major competitions, and on the latter stages – semi-finals and finals – of these tournaments.
Also, several finals and events are subject to the stipulation that they need only be shown FTA if a French club or team is involved.
The additional list of sports events, which must be shown on a French FTA TV service, is as follows:
The Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
FIFA-associated matches involving the French women’s football team.
The semi-finals and the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The semi-finals and the final of the UEFA Women’s European Championship.
The final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The final of the UEFA Europa Conference League when a French club is involved.
The final of the French Women’s Football Cup.
Matches of the French women’s and men’s rugby union teams registered in the World Rugby calendar.
Matches of the French team in the women’s Six Nations rugby tournament.
The semi-finals and final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The final of the French women’s rugby union championship.
The semi-finals of the men’s and women’s singles of the Roland-Garros tennis tournament when a French player is involved.
The men’s and women’s singles finals of Grand Slam tennis tournaments other than Roland-Garros when a French player is involved.
The women’s cycling Tour de France.
The women’s cycling Paris-Roubaix competition.
The semi-finals of the women’s and men’s European basketball championships when a French team participates.
The semi-finals of the women’s and men’s basketball world championships when a French team participates.
The semi-finals of the European women’s and men’s handball championships when a French team participates.
The semi-finals of the women’s and men’s handball world championships when a French team participates.
The finals and semi-finals of the women’s and men’s European volleyball championships when a French team participates.
The finals and semi-finals of the women’s and men’s volleyball world championships when a French team participates.
The Alpine Ski World Championships when the competition takes place in France.
As mentioned, women’s sports events figure prominently in the updated list!
For further information and advice on sports broadcasting rights and legal issues, including disputes, in France, please email Dr Estelle Ivanova, the Head of our French Law Practice Group, at ‘ivanova@valloni.ch’.