By David Gold
December 6 – Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera has taken another step into the French sports media rights market with the acquisition of four UEFA packages to show Champions League games.
It will replace TF1 and Canal Plus as UEFA’s main broadcast partner in France, and show Champions League games for the next three seasons.
It is thought that Al Jazeera will pay in the region of €61 million (£52 million/$82 million) a year for the rights, which will see them broadcast 133 games from the competition each season, and UEFA said that it “welcomes the opportunity to develop a partnership with Al Jazeera in France”.
“We highly value their production expertise and commitment towards the UEFA Champions League in the Middle East and North Africa and we look forward to being part of their channel development in France,” the UEFA statement added.
“The level of interest in the UEFA Champions League rights confirms the continuing strength of the competition.”
Al Jazeera has already purchased the international and domestic rights to Ligue 1 matches this year, continuing Qatar’s presence in French sport, and football in particular.
Qatari Sports Investments, whose President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (pictured right) is also the President of Al Jazeera’s sports arm, bought Paris St Germain earlier this summer.
The Parisians were one of the most active teams in the summer transfer market, spending the best part of €100 million (£86 million/$134 million) on new players, including Argentine star Javier Pastore.
Links between Qatar and France have grown significantly in recent times, with companies such as Suez, Vinci, Airbus and Areva part owned by Qatar, according to French newspaper Libération.
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Qatari heir to the throne, was also given the Légion d’honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy last year.
UEFA’s French President, Michel Platini, has also admitted voting for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, which they were awarded in Zurich just over a year ago.
French website So Foot has alleged that Platini did so as a result of a meeting with Sarkozy, Al-Thani and the former owner of PSG, Sébastien Bazin last November, at which it was claimed that the French President encouraged Qatar to invest in French football.
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