Pay-TV broadcaster Canal+ has added international broadcast rights to its domestic coverage of the Top 14 as part of a new deal with the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), the league’s operator has announced.

The network, which is a long-term domestic partner of the LNR, signed an agreement in 2016 to cover four seasons from France’s top flight of rugby union between the 2019/20 and 2022/23 cycle.

Included in the agreement, Canal+ has now added global rights to the competition through to the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

In a statement, the LNR said that it has decided to invest additional resources to accelerate the international development of the Top 14.

It added: ‘Beyond the realisation of an international signal in English, the production of new content specifically dedicated to the international [market], the LNR will also engage an ambitious marketing action plan to raise the profile of the Top 14 in the main rugby and developing countries, and to assert its status as a benchmark championship worldwide.’

For each round of the regular season, four Top 14 matches will be offered to international broadcasters with an international signal including graphics and commentary in English.

The agreement will also offer a wide range of content to promote the championship, including pre-match and post-match interviews in the players' native language for broadcast in the country concerned, as well as shoulder content that features former players and the history of their respective clubs and regions.

Clips featuring match-day highlights will also be available on digital platforms.