Just weeks after FOX Sports signed an agreement to broadcast MLS games for the next four years, FOX signed another soccer rights deal. This time, FOX Sports has acquired the rights to the Coupe de France in the United States to bring the Coupe de France matches to viewers.
The French Cup rights are marketed by the French Football Federation (FFF). It’s a separate rights deal from France’s Ligue 1, which is run by the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel).
In the French Cup, the competition is open to all French football clubs. For the 2022/23 season, the cup competition saw more than 7,000 clubs competing in all qualifying rounds. The Round of 64 begins on January 6 (check the Coupe de France calendar for details).
Where will the FOX Sports Coupe de France games be broadcast?
Soccer fans interested in watching French Cup matches will find plenty of them on various FOX channels. The majority of games are broadcast on FOX Soccer Plus, followed by a smaller number on FS2. For Round of 64 later this week, neither game is on FS1 or FOX.
However, it is an opportunity for soccer fans to see giants like Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille battle it out against smaller teams. For example, PSG travels to play against LB Châteauroux, a team from the third division of French soccer. Fourth division Hyères FC, meanwhile, play Marseille this weekend.
Similar in format to the FA Cup in England, the Coupe de France began in 1917. It is France’s famous knockout cup competition that runs through the regular season.
Starting in November, the FFF had difficulty finding a broadcaster in France interested in broadcasting the competition. But beIN SPORTS came to the rescue in December to continue showing matches on French television until 2026.
Previously, beIN SPORTS held the rights to Coupe de France games in the United States, but that deal concluded at the end of 2022. While FOX Sports began airing Coupe de France games later this week, beIN SPORTS still has the rights to the competition for viewers. in Canada.
Photo: IMAGO / PanoramiC
