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American football is regaining ground on French screens. The L'Équipe group officially announced on July 21 the acquisition of NFL broadcasting rights for the 2026-2027 season. The icing on the cake: France Télévisions is joining the dance with four games scheduled on free-to-air, including a match that will be played at the Stade de France. A double announcement that significantly expands the sport's exposure across the Atlantic in France.
L'Équipe reconnects with an old love
Between 2020 and 2023, its channels already broadcast the league's games, attracting a loyal and knowledgeable audience.
The L'Équipe group is not a newcomer to the NFL universe. Between 2020 and 2023, its channels already broadcast the league's games, attracting a loyal and knowledgeable audience. The return of the rights marks a deliberate desire to rebuild this community of fans. The L'Équipe channel, free and accessible on TNT, will offer programming every week of the regular season through to the Super Bowl, the undisputed pinnacle of the American sports calendar.
The agreement covers the entire 2026 season, which will begin in September and end with the grand final in February 2027. Coverage will include live broadcasts and analysis shows, a format that had proven itself during the previous contract.
France Télévisions, the surprise guest
The entry of the public service into the NFL landscape is the real novelty. France Télévisions will broadcast four games over the entire season, including at least one scheduled in Europe. The match at the Stade de France, planned as part of the NFL's international series, will be the highlight of this coverage. The Dionysian venue, which has already hosted the Super Bowl several times on giant screens during private events, will this time experience an official regular-season game.
This two-pronged strategy — a thematic sports channel for regular coverage, a generalist channel for major events — is inspired by the model that has made American football successful in Germany and the United Kingdom. The NFL, which seeks to expand its European footprint, sees France as a market with strong growth potential.
A French market in full swing
NFL viewership in France has grown steadily in recent years, driven by streaming and the enthusiasm around games organized in Europe. The Super Bowl 2026 final, which attracted a record French audience on digital platforms, convinced broadcasters that there is solid demand beyond the circle of insiders.
The arrival of France Télévisions could also accelerate the democratization of flag football, a non-contact derivative discipline that will be on the program at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The French federation has seen its licensees double since 2023.
Upcoming schedule
The 2026-2027 NFL season will begin on September 10 with the traditional opening game of the defending champion. The date of the match at the Stade de France has not yet been set, but it should take place in October or November, the period favored by the league for its international series. French fans can already mark these dates in their calendars: the American oval ball is coming back in force. The precise programming of the games broadcast by France Télévisions has not yet been revealed, but the public service has confirmed that the match at the Stade de France will benefit from a complete editorial setup, with a live broadcast from the venue and duplexes throughout the day. Treatment comparable to that reserved for major football or rugby events. The NFL thus continues its strategy of expansion beyond American borders. After London, Munich, and São Paulo, Paris becomes the next step in an international roadmap that plans up to eight regular-season games played outside the United States by 2027. For French fans, this guarantees seeing the league's stars tread on French soil every season.