Following the press conference on the joint venture between Canal+ and Orange to create premium movie channels, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard said that a decision on the future of Orange Sport will be taken soon.
“I expect the issue to be solved in 2011,” he said. Richard also said that a number of parties are interested in acquiring Orange Sport, including the French football league LFP, TF1, ESPN and Ma Chaîne Sport. “But official negotiations have not yet started.”
The French football league plans to have its own premium football channel and media authority CSA has already issued a DTT licence for the planned channel, which is to be called CFoot.
Orange Sport holds the rights till the 2011/2012 season of the Ligue 1 of French football. The operator expects to close its sports channel in 2012 at the latest.