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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
American football remains firmly anchored in the French audiovisual landscape. As the historic broadcaster of the NFL since 2012, beIN SPORTS made official this Monday, July 21, the extension of its rights for three additional seasons, i.e., until 2029. The agreement, which runs until the end of the 2028-2029 season, guarantees subscribers expanded coverage: an additional game every Sunday, bringing the number of matches broadcast each week to around fifteen. A notable progression for a sport whose French audience has doubled in five years.
A strengthened setup
The Qatari group, the undisputed reference for the NFL in France for fourteen years, retains its entire editorial arsenal.
The Qatari group, the undisputed reference for the NFL in France for fourteen years, retains its entire editorial arsenal. Full coverage of the regular season, the playoffs as a whole, and Super Bowl LXI — scheduled for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California — remain in beIN SPORTS' portfolio. The channel will also continue to produce its dedicated magazines and analysis shows, which retain a community of enthusiasts every weekend. The main change concerns the Sunday volume, which is increasing to meet the growing appetite of the French public, whose audience has been steadily growing since the first regular-season games were held on European soil.
A three-headed audiovisual landscape
This announcement comes in the context of a broader reorganization of NFL rights in France. A few hours earlier, L'Équipe and France Télévisions made official an agreement for free-to-air broadcasting. The former will offer one game every Sunday at 10 p.m., two regular-season games played in Europe — including the highly anticipated Paris Game —, three playoff games, and the Super Bowl in full. France Télévisions will exclusively broadcast the two European games of the season, in Paris and London. French viewers will thus benefit from unprecedented coverage: beIN SPORTS' exhaustive pay-TV offering, L'Équipe's free-to-air Sunday appointment, and France TV's event-based complement. A triptych that covers all uses, from the die-hard fan to the curious Sunday-night viewer.
Never has the NFL been so accessible on French soil. This multiplication of broadcasters reflects the growing importance of the French market to the American league, which sees France as a strategic growth driver for its international development. The audiences of recent seasons, boosted by the performances of the league's stars and the excitement around the Super Bowl, have convinced the NFL to invest for the long term.
A 2026 season marked by openness
The 2026 season begins on Wednesday, September 9, with the traditional Kickoff Game, which will pit the Seattle Seahawks, the defending champions, against a team yet to be determined. The full schedule promises its share of clashes, notably a Patriots-Bills game to open Sunday Night Football and a highly anticipated Chiefs-Ravens matchup as early as the third week. The Paris Game, whose matchup and exact date remain to be confirmed, will undoubtedly be the highlight of the autumn for the French public.
On the sporting front, the season promises to be uncertain. The Seahawks will try to keep their crown, but Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs, Lamar Jackson's Ravens, and Josh Allen's Bills are among the most serious contenders. In the NFC conference, the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles will want to erase disappointing campaigns. The road to SoFi Stadium promises to be long and hard-fought.
For beIN SPORTS, this extension is part of a strategy to consolidate its portfolio of premium rights. The channel has also recently renewed its agreements with Wimbledon and the French Handball Federation, confirming its desire to remain a major player in French sport despite competition from digital platforms. American football fans can approach the new season with serenity: their Sunday habits will not be disrupted, and the menu promises to be more plentiful than ever.
