The M6 group has struck a very big blow.
The television channel will broadcast the 2026 and 2030 World Cup matches unencrypted, its president announced Thursday morning on RTL.
The rights to the two competitions were acquired under the nose of TF1, the historic broadcaster.
“We have obtained the rights to the 2026 World Cup (…) and also to the 2030 World Cup, so two World Cups will be broadcast for free on M6,” said Nicolas de Tavernost on RTL, radio of the M6 group.
54 unencrypted matches out of 104
The channel has not broadcast a World Cup match since the 2006 edition in Germany, during which the French team lost in the final against Italy.
If no sub-licensing agreement is signed with TF1, the latter could not broadcast a single World Cup match for the very first time in its history.
Of the 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, 54 will be broadcast unencrypted.
The others will be through a paid channel.
The 2030 World Cup will take place in three countries: Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Read alsoTF1 misses the TV rights for the 2026 World Cup: the questions that arise
“We will see the best matches of these two World Cups on the channel of the M6 group,” explained Nicolas de Tavernost.
We used to go to major competitions with our colleagues from the first channel
(TF1)
, such as for Euro 2024. Our competitor did not wish to continue this sharing.
We will therefore have exclusivity on the matches in the clear.
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