The international media company will distribute Ligue 1 rights across the continent from season 2012-13 through to 2017-18. The agreement comes after Al Jazeera acquired the overseas broadcast rights to the top flight of French football in a six-year deal earlier this year.

MP & Silva will manage the sales process from its Asian headquarters in Singapore, with the support of three local offices in Beijing, Hanoi and Tokyo. The sales process for the Asian territories will start in the coming days and will be accelerated at the upcoming Sportel conference in Monaco.

An MP & Silva statement read: “MP & Silva, in conjunction with LFP and AJS and through its own established expertise in the Asian market, will provide excellent distribution for Ligue 1 throughout the region, opening up new markets and increasing existing levels of coverage.”