WWE News: WWE announce free-to-air broadcast agreement in France

What’s the story?

WWE has announced today that they have reached a deal with L’Équipe, the leading French free TV channel dedicated to sport, to broadcast WWE Monday Night Raw on free-to-air television in France.

In case you didn’t know...

WWE previously aired Raw on the RTL9 channel in France.

The new deal with L’Équipe is only for Raw as of now, so SmackDown Live will continue to air on the French AB1 channel every Saturday at at 8:40 p.m.

WWE tours France with sold-out arenas every year, with the next one happening in May this year.

The heart of the matter

WWE has announced that they will air a one-hour version of Raw at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, with an additional re-air on Saturday nights, all with French commentary, on the L’Équipe channel. Raw will also be available on L’Équipe’s TV Everywhere platform for authenticated subscribers, and on its seven-day VOD catchup

L’Équipe and WWE both commented on the announcement:

“We are delighted to partner with WWE, renowned all over the world for its high-quality TV programs,” said Arnaud de Courcelles, L’Équipe TV Director. “La chaine L’Équipe is happy to offer Raw to its viewers, which is a mix of spectacular sport and entertainment!”

“We are thrilled to partner with L’Équipe and expand our reach on their popular channel in France,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Co-President. “This partnership to deliver localized WWE programming allows us to provide our unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment to WWE fans throughout the country.”

What’s next?

The first airing of WWE RAW on the L’Équipe channel will be on Saturday, the 10th of March.

Author’s take

This is great news for French WWE fans. This could also mean good things for other countries as, should it be a success, WWE may air Raw and SmackDown Live on other free TV channels throughout different countries.