Al Jazeera scores with Champions League rights in France

Al Jazeera has clinched the rights to screen three seasons of the Champions League in France.

UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe, said it has awarded Al Jazeera's sports arm four of the five French media rights packages for the 2012-15 UEFA Champions League.

"Each season Al Jazeera Sport will broadcast 133 matches live across its television channels, internet and mobile services," UEFA said on its website. "The broadcaster has also committed to significant pre-match preview programming and highlights on both UEFA Champions League matchnights."

Al Jazeera's sports channel will reportedly launch in France next Spring, broadcasting over cable and satellite networks.

The Qatar-owned broadcaster already holds the rights for the Champions League in the Middle East and North Africa.

It also holds the regional broadcasting rights to the next three Fifa World Cups among other tournaments.

The network is ranked by Informa as the largest pay-TV operator in the region, with 1.85 million subscribers forecast for 2016.

There has been intense media speculation that Al Jazeera also has plans to bid for other high-profile football rights. The network did not comment when contacted by The National.

Moves by Al Jazeera to boost its football activities have been linked to Qatar's controversial bid to host the 2022 World Cup.