CANAL+ and FIBA extend long-standing partnership until 2021

FIBA on Friday announced that it has reached an agreement with the CANAL+ Group which will see the French premium cable television channel exclusively broadcast FIBA's leading national team competitions from 2017 to 2021, including the first-ever 32-team FIBA Basketball World Cup taking place in China in 2019.

The announcement means that French basketball fans will get to follow both their men's and women's national teams in action at FIBA Basketball World Cups, FIBA EuroBaskets and FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. They will also be able to watch the French national men’s team in action in their home and away games as part of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers and FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Qualifiers.

This new agreement extends the long-standing relationship that CANAL+ has enjoyed with international basketball. For more than 20 years, subscribers have tuned into CANAL+'s channels to watch the national team competitions and witnessed incredible moments such as the women's home success at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2001 and the men's side achieving European glory in 2013, along with many other memorable moments. CANAL+ has been side-by-side with both France’s national teams and countries from around the world at the biggest basketball events. 

CANAL+ is proud to accompany "Les Braqueuses" and "Les Bleus" in their quest for international success over the next five years.

CANAL+ will also broadcast men's and women's continental competitions from around the world such as the FIBA AfroBasket, FIBA AmeriCup and FIBA Asia Cup, as well as the FIBA U17 and U19 Basketball World Cups, which will allow fans to discover and follow the stars of tomorrow.

Thierry Cheleman, Sports Director of the CANAL+ Group, said: "The CANAL+ Group is very happy to continue the tradition of having international basketball on its airwaves. Following the conclusion of the first Basketball Champions League season, our subscribers will be able to indulge in more high-level basketball as early as June with the FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017, followed by FIBA EuroBasket 2017 in September and the first games of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers in November."

Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member said: "This partnership is great news for fans of French basketball and for those who enjoy the very best that our sport has to offer from around the world. Thanks to the successful work of the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), the popularity and visibility of the sport has soared to new heights and CANAL+ has very much played a part in that. As such we are extremely proud to extend our relationship with a partner that has put basketball at a premium on their channels for more than two decades." 

"FIBA's New Competition System means that official games will be played on a regular basis and therefore increases the year-round visibility of the national team. This further enhances the potential of the sport on TV and obviously comes as great news for fans of the French teams."

The agreement was brokered by FIBA Media, the strategic partnership between FIBA and Perform.