Canal+ and LaLiga have signed a strategic agreement covering nearly 50 countries across Europe, Sub Saharan Africa and Haiti, creating one of the most extensive collaborations between a broadcaster and a sports organisation to combat illegal streaming, CNBC Africa reported. The partnership will combine the two organisations’ anti piracy technology, intelligence and enforcement capabilities, with joint investigations and coordinated action against networks distributing LaLiga content without authorisation.
The agreement extends a longstanding commercial relationship between Canal+ and LaLiga, which has grown alongside the broadcaster’s international expansion. Canal+ is now present in nearly 70 countries, while its distribution of Spanish football has expanded from France into European, African and Haitian markets. The new arrangement moves that relationship beyond content distribution towards protecting the commercial value of sports broadcasting rights.
The financial stakes are significant for football broadcasters and clubs. LaLiga reported that broadcasting income for Spanish professional clubs fell 5.2 percent to €1.43 billion in the 2024/25 season, while commercial revenue rose to €1.58 billion. LaLiga President Javier Tebas said piracy directly threatens the audiovisual rights that remain a fundamental source of income for clubs, while Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada estimated that piracy destroys about €1.5 billion in value annually in France alone.
For Africa, where Canal+ has a particularly extensive distribution footprint, the agreement could strengthen enforcement against illegal IPTV services and streaming networks that undermine legitimate broadcasters. The partnership also reflects a wider shift in the sports industry towards treating piracy as an economic and investment risk rather than simply a copyright issue, with rights holders increasingly pooling technology, intelligence and enforcement resources to protect the long term value of premium sports content.
