Manchester City banned from French TV because of technicality

Select Manchester City Champions League matches will not be available to watch on French TV via beIN Sports this season. The network issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the move, which is effective immediately.

Yet, the decision to ban a few of City’s Champions League games from TV is not because of something the Premier League title winners did. Instead, the issue revolves around another team’s jersey sponsor.

BSC Young Boys, an opponent of Manchester City in Group G, currently has Plus500 as their main jersey sponsor. The fintech firm provides online trading services to customers. However, the company’s website currently has a banner that warns users of “high risk of rapid loss of capital.”

French TV network decision impact Manchester City games

“Dear Subscribers, following a decision by the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control), we must for this day stop broadcasting Young Boys of Bern matches in the UEFA Champions League,” beIN Sports France stated on social media on Tuesday. “According to the DGCCRF, any broadcast featuring one of the sponsors of this team would constitute prohibited advertising.”

“beIN Sports, which must comply with this injunction, is mobilizing so that its subscribers, fans of the UEFA Champions League, can quickly find the matches of the Young Boys of Bern.”

Tech company also involved with other clubs

The television network previously made similar moves with Serie A matches involving Atalanta. Plus500 has been a main shirt sponsor of the club since 2020. Polish side Legia Warsaw also has a deal in place with the fintech company as well. The firm recently struck a deal with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to help broaden its reach.

beIN Sports will not show any Young Boys matches during the 2023/24 Champions League season. The first fixture in the competition comes on Tuesday, Sep. 19th against RB Leipzig. This, of course, also means that the two matchups between Young Boys and Manchester City will not be shown. City plays the Swiss side on Oct. 25 and Nov. 7.

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The decision does not affect these games here in the United States. Champions League fixtures are available to stream on Paramount+ Stateside.

PHOTO: IMAGO / NurPhoto