The four-year agreement will bring exclusive UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League coverage to more than 40 countries across the region
CANAL+ has strengthened its position as a leading sports broadcaster in Sub-Saharan Africa after securing exclusive broadcasting rights for UEFA’s three major men’s club competitions across more than 40 countries in the region.
The new agreement covers the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League and will run for four seasons, beginning in mid-2027 and continuing through 2031.
The deal represents a major expansion of CANAL+’s football offering and is expected to give millions of football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa continued access to some of the most prestigious club competitions in world football.
Four-Year UEFA Partnership
Under the agreement, viewers across the region will be able to follow UEFA’s leading club competitions through a combination of CANAL+ Sport and SuperSport, depending on the language market.
The partnership covers more than 40 countries, giving the broadcaster an extensive footprint across one of the world’s fastest-growing sports media markets.
The UEFA Champions League remains the headline attraction, bringing together Europe’s biggest clubs and some of the world’s most recognisable footballers. The Europa League and Conference League will also form part of the broadcasting package, providing wider coverage of European club football.
The agreement will commence once the current rights cycle concludes and will remain in place until 2031.
SuperSport Retains English and Portuguese Coverage
The broadcasting arrangement has been structured around the different language markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking countries, SuperSport will retain exclusive rights to broadcast the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
This ensures that football fans in these markets will continue to access UEFA’s competitions through SuperSport’s established sports broadcasting platforms.
The arrangement also reflects the importance of language-specific broadcasting strategies in Africa, where sports audiences are spread across multiple linguistic markets.
CANAL+ Expands French-Language Football Offering
For French-speaking African markets, the agreement provides CANAL+ Sport with an expanded UEFA portfolio.
The broadcaster will restore full UEFA Champions League coverage in French while also securing exclusive French-language rights to the Europa League and Conference League for the first time.
The move strengthens CANAL+’s position in Francophone Africa and adds another major international football property to its existing programming.
For viewers, the agreement means broader access to European club football through a familiar French-language sports offering.
Strengthening an Already Extensive Football Portfolio
The UEFA deal adds to CANAL+’s already substantial football rights portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The broadcaster currently offers coverage of several major domestic competitions, including the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS and Ligue 1.
CANAL+ also holds rights to South Africa’s Betway Premiership, further strengthening its presence in African football.
In addition, CANAL+ and SuperSport are set to provide coverage of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026, adding major women’s football content to their programming line-up.
The combination of European club competitions, domestic leagues and African tournaments gives CANAL+ a broad range of football content capable of attracting audiences throughout the region.
CANAL+ Highlights Commitment to African Audiences
CANAL+ CEO Maxime Saada welcomed the agreement, describing it as an important addition to the company’s sports offering.
The broadcaster sees the UEFA partnership as an opportunity to provide subscribers across more than 40 Sub-Saharan African countries with premium access to European club football.
The agreement also underlines the strategic importance of sports rights in CANAL+’s broader African growth strategy. Premium football remains one of the most valuable forms of television and streaming content, particularly in markets where football enjoys significant popularity.
Growing Competition for Sports Rights
The agreement comes as broadcasters and streaming platforms continue to compete for premium sports rights across Africa.
European football competitions have become particularly important for pay-TV operators because of their ability to attract and retain subscribers. Exclusive access to high-profile matches can also help broadcasters differentiate their packages in increasingly competitive markets.
By securing UEFA’s three major club competitions through 2031, CANAL+ is positioning itself to maintain a strong presence in the African sports broadcasting landscape for the next several years.
The new agreement therefore represents more than the acquisition of individual football tournaments. It forms part of a wider strategy to build a comprehensive sports offering capable of serving diverse audiences across Sub-Saharan Africa.
With UEFA competition coverage joining its existing portfolio of major football properties, CANAL+ is set to remain a significant player in the region’s premium sports media market through 2031.
4 Comments