The 2024-25 season of France’s Top 14 will begin on September 7. (Franco Arland/Getty Images)

The Dutch arm of French multinational broadcaster Canal Plus has expanded its portfolio of sports rights with the addition of France’s Top 14 rugby union competition and padel’s Premier Padel Tour to its coverage mix.

Canal Plus only returned to the Netherlands in November 2023 with a new OTT platform that includes offering ESPN, the rights holder of the country’s domestic soccer top-flight Eredivisie and is now building out its portfolio of sports rights with a wider range of competitions from across the continent.

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The Top 14, France’s top tier of club rugby union, begins on September 7 and runs through its showpiece final on June 28, 2025.

Premier Padel broadcasts, meanwhile, will begin with the ongoing Finland premier Padel P2 event, a part of the 2024 calendar which will run through to the December 18-22 Tour Finals in Barcelona, Spain.

From September 9 to 15, Premier Padel will stage one of its P1 events, the tier second only to its four majors in visibility, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with the event likely to receive prominent coverage on the French broadcaster’s Dutch arm.

Speaking on the capture of the Premier Padel rights, Canal Plus country manager for the Netherlands Alco de Jong stated: “The sport is growing in the Netherlands and fits well with our strategy to offer high-quality sports content.

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“Canal Plus is the exclusive rights holder for several countries, including the Netherlands.”

The deal follows Canal Plus announcing its entry into Hungary, expanding its coverage of European markets.

In recent years, the broadcaster has broken into neighboring Austria, Poland, and Slovakia, and nearby Czech Republic.

Canal Plus will present a mix of linear television and OTT streaming in the country with sports rights acquisitions likely to follow.