Top 14 wins jackpot with new €113.6million per year TV rights deal

Top 14 officials in France have landed the jackpot for their league, securing a 17 per cent increase in the value of TV rights which will see them bank €113.6million per year for the four seasons from 2023/24 to 2026/2027 in a deal with Canal + totalling €454.4m.  

A call for tenders was launched on January 21 by the steering committee of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby and the increase of the value of the TV rights will be seen as a massive boost for the Top 14 in France.

The four-year extension in France easily eclipses the value of the Gallagher Premiership live TV rights in England where BT Sport recently agreed on a three-year extension until the end of the 2023/24 season valued at £110million, approximately £36m a year.

LNR president Paul Goze said: “The success of this call for tenders is the result of several years of construction and strong political choices to make the Top 14 a great competition. The Top 14 is the most attractive championship in the world and a magnificent showcase of club rugby in France.

"The commitment of the LNR and clubs to support training, modernise the stadiums and offer a high-level competition with suspense all season closed by the big event of the final stages has been fruitful. The new increase in audiovisual rights resulting from this call for tenders will allow professional rugby and the whole of French rugby to continue its development dynamic."

There were three packages up for grabs, all won by Canal + whose CEO Maxime Saada said: "I'm particularly happy and proud of the result of this call for tenders which allows us to offer our subscribers the Top 14 until the end of the 2026/2027 season. 

"The competition will be completed by the entire Pro D2 for which Canal + holds the rights at the same expiry date. The Canal + group is the long-standing partner of the competition with which it shares the values and the sense of the spectacle."

The French broadcaster will offer all regular-season games on Canal + Premium, the play-offs, the semi-finals as well as the final, the promotion game, several weekly magazines dedicated to the Top 14 and a digital offering giving fans near-live match snippets and highlights.