CANAL+ has strengthened its position as one of Africa’s leading sports broadcasters after securing exclusive media rights to UEFA’s men’s club competitions across more than 40 sub-Saharan African countries for the 2027–2031 cycle.
The four-season agreement grants CANAL+ exclusive coverage of Europe’s biggest club tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, UEFA Super Cup, and UEFA Youth League. The deal was negotiated through UC3, the commercial partnership between UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA).
Relevant Football Partners served as UEFA’s global sales agency for club competitions through 2033. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the acquisition is described as one of the most significant sports broadcasting deals in the African market.
Under the new arrangement, CANAL+ plans to streamline coverage across different language regions. In English- and Portuguese-speaking countries, SuperSport will continue to deliver exclusive live broadcasts.
In French-speaking markets, audiences will receive coverage through CANAL+ Sport, which has regained exclusive Champions League rights. For the first time, CANAL+ Sport has also secured French-language rights to the Europa League and the Conference League.
The agreement also changes the competitive broadcasting landscape. New World TV, which previously held French-language rights to several UEFA competitions in francophone Africa, will no longer broadcast the tournaments during the next rights cycle. Industry reporting suggests CANAL+ won following a highly competitive bidding process, with some territories seeing more than 20 bids.
For CANAL+, the deal complements a broader international strategy. The broadcaster has already secured UEFA club competition rights for the same period in multiple European markets, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Poland.
CANAL+ Chief Executive Officer Maxime Saada described the agreement as another step toward offering one of the strongest premium sports portfolios available to viewers across sub-Saharan Africa.
CANAL+ also intends to leverage the growing presence of African football stars in Europe’s top leagues as part of its marketing strategy. Players expected to feature prominently include Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Serhou Guirassy, Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo, Nicolas Jackson, Achraf Hakimi, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Lamine Yamal.
This consolidation of rights comes after CANAL+ acquired MultiChoice, which ended the long-standing split between English-speaking and French-speaking UEFA broadcasting arrangements across Africa. By bringing both operations under one organisation, CANAL+ is expected to negotiate continent-wide rights more efficiently and deliver a more unified commercial approach to premium football content.
However, exclusive rights alone may not be enough to guarantee subscriber growth. The African pay-TV market continues to face intensifying competition from illegal streaming services, social media platforms, and changing viewing habits.
While CANAL+ has reported stronger subscriber acquisition in former MultiChoice markets, retaining and growing its customer base will depend on convincing football fans that licensed premium UEFA coverage offers better value than free and unlicensed alternatives.
As the 2027 season approaches, CANAL+ has secured one of the continent’s most valuable sports broadcasting assets. The next challenge will be ensuring that millions of supporters across sub-Saharan Africa choose licensed platforms as competition for audiences grows.
