Du padel television in France, it will be a reality from December 2021. Canal +, the encrypted channel acquired thebroadcasting rights for World Padel Tour to 2026. 

This is a very good news for the padel French which has not stopped growing for 5 years with a surprising acceleration since the COVID crisis. 

We have tried to analyze this situation from a different perspective.

What modalities?

The question that could arise are the terms of this agreement between Canal + and the WPT.

Indeed, according to sources, the price to pay for acquiring the WPT broadcast rights was “very high“. TV channels that had thought of offering WPT matches earlier in 2021 reportedly abandoned the idea because they felt the cost was too high.

"Le padel needs international notoriety. However, the large national and international chains are an opportunity for the padel in reality. Buy even more broadcast rights in a sport like padel where so much remains to be done seems at least too soon.

And above all, we can see that there is a great evolution in the model of purchasing broadcasting rights. This does not only concern the padel. The economic model has changed enormously."

Contrary to what is perhaps done in France, has the Canal + channel broken its piggy bank? Let's not forget that its economic model is not the same as that of a free channel. the padel, can it eventually become a miracle cure to keep its subscribers? If this is obviously not the case today, it could perhaps become so in a few years.

We could read on social networks that some preferred to continue to watch for free padel on Youtube. This is the case, for example, of the Toulouse internet user Cedric Serres:

Why pay a private channel when the WPT broadcasts summaries and live them on its YouTube channel? 

Quite simply because in the long term, the padel should do like other sports, namely systematically offer content subject to TV rights. If for now, we can imagine that the same is happening in Spain, namely that only the semi-finals and finals will be shown on Canal +, there will inevitably come a time when the WPT live streams will disappear from YouTube. When ? Difficult to know, but it is certain that the World Padel Tour will not forever “compete” with the channels to which it sells TV rights via its YouTube channel!

channel + international padel wpt

Until 2026 or 2023?

The other question that could arise is the duration of this partnership between Canal + and the WPT. The contract has been signed up to 2026. However, the WPT is not guaranteed to have the best players in the world after 2023. It remains in a delicate situation, with the players' association which has refused its offer of extension as it stands.

Today, two alternatives are available to players. APT Padel Tower, which begins to make noise, considered by some as “more open"And"more accessible for professional players who are not at the top of the bill on the WPT“. But also the professional circuit which could be launched soon by a “former friend of the WPT“Lisandro Borges.

Today the ball is in the players' court. The question we can ask ourselves is whether Canal + has included a clause stipulating that if the best players leave the circuit in 2023, the agreement will not be maintained ...

Anyway, having the encrypted channel as the promoter of the padel is exceptional. Indeed, the broadcasts of matches of padel on television will inevitably have a very positive impact on the popularity of our sport, with distribution perhaps in 33 countries !

In addition, Hernan Auguste, the International Director of the WPT, indicated 2 days ago that a stage in France could see the light of day very soon. Which means very clearly that we will have a tournament in France in 2022. This year, the calendar is already closed, with already a lot of dates and very few holes to fit an additional tournament. In addition, with the health crisis that persists in France, it seems even more difficult to see a new stage added to the 2021 calendar.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.

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