Canal+ has acquired exclusive rights to broadcast all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across sub-Saharan Africa.
This Canal+ UEFA rights Africa 2027 agreement spans more than 40 countries and covers all languages, running from mid-2027 through 2031.
The deal was announced on August 4 and gives subscribers exclusive access to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League for four full seasons.
Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada expressed clear pride in securing the agreement.
He said the partnership gives the company exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa for four seasons, running until 2031.
The rights were acquired through Canal+’s partnership with UC3, a joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association.
What the SuperSport Champions League Africa Arrangement Looks Like
The SuperSport Champions League Africa arrangement varies by language territory, reflecting Canal+’s dual-brand strategy across the continent.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking African markets, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA men’s club competitions.
This extends SuperSport’s long-standing position as the go-to destination for European club football in these regions, a status the broadcaster has held throughout the previous 2024-27 rights cycle.
In French-speaking Africa, Canal+ Sport will once again become the exclusive French-language home of the Champions League.
More significantly, it will also gain exclusive French-language rights to the Europa League and Conference League for the first time.
This marks the first occasion French-speaking African subscribers will be able to watch Europa League and Conference League matches alongside the flagship Champions League tournament.
Understanding UEFA Africa Broadcast Rights 2031 Details
UEFA Africa broadcast rights 2031 coverage extends beyond just the three headline tournaments.
The deal also includes the UEFA Youth League and the UEFA Super Cup, the match contested annually between the Champions League and Europa League winners.
This gives Canal+ and SuperSport a genuinely comprehensive package covering essentially every major UEFA men’s club competition format.
The agreement will bring some of European football’s biggest stars directly to Canal+ and SuperSport channels across the region.
Names include Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and Ousmane Dembélé, among many others.
For African football fans who follow both continental stars playing in Europe and the biggest global club names, this ensures continued access to that talent pool through familiar broadcast channels.
The Competitive Landscape Behind Canal+ MultiChoice Sports Rights Strategy
Canal+ MultiChoice sports rights strategy has been building aggressively since Canal+ took control of MultiChoice in September 2025.
This UEFA deal represents a significant consolidation move in that broader strategy. Currently, UEFA men’s club competitions in Sub-Saharan Africa have been shown by a mix of broadcasters, including SuperSport, Togo-based New World TV, and Canal+ itself.
This new agreement consolidates Canal+’s position by granting it full exclusivity across the entire region.
That consolidation carries real competitive weight. SuperSport has retained the English and Portuguese-language rights it held during the previous cycle, while now also adding the French-language rights previously held by New World TV.
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According to industry reporting, Canal+ had to beat out numerous bidders across various markets, in some cases facing more than 20 competing offers, to secure this level of exclusivity across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Building an Already Strong Football Portfolio
This UEFA acquisition adds to an already extensive football lineup across Canal+ Sport and SuperSport channels.
The combined portfolio includes the Premier League, LaLiga EA Sports, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership, and the ongoing TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
Adding the full suite of UEFA men’s club competitions rounds out what Canal+ describes as one of the most comprehensive football offerings available anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
This deal also fits into UEFA’s broader global rights cycle for 2027 through 2031, during which new marketing and sales arrangements are being negotiated across multiple territories worldwide.
Canal+’s regional consolidation in Africa mirrors similar rights negotiations happening simultaneously in other markets, including a parallel renewal of Canal+’s exclusive rights to UEFA club competitions in France itself for the same four-season cycle.
What This Means for DStv and Canal+ Subscribers
For everyday subscribers, the practical impact should be minimal disruption.
DStv subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa, including in Nigeria, will continue watching Europe’s top club football competitions without interruption once the new cycle begins in mid-2027.
SuperSport remains the familiar home of this content for English and Portuguese-speaking audiences, while French-speaking subscribers actually gain expanded access to competitions they previously could not watch through Canal+ Sport.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed publicly.
Given the scale of competition Canal+ reportedly faced and the length and breadth of the rights secured, though, this represents a substantial long-term investment in the company’s African sports content strategy.
What Comes Next
With this deal locked in through 2031, Canal+ has secured a stable, multi-year foundation for its sports content strategy across one of the world’s fastest-growing pay-TV markets.
The real test will come once the new cycle begins in mid-2027, when Canal+ and SuperSport will need to deliver on the comprehensiveness this deal promises, particularly in French-speaking markets gaining new competitions for the first time.
For now, this agreement cements Canal+’s dominant position in African sports broadcasting heading into the next UEFA rights cycle, leaving competitors like New World TV without the French-language football rights they previously held across the region.
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