Le Groupe Dépêche to broadcast Dragons & Olympique Coverage for the 2026 Season

Rugby League Commercial (RL Commercial) today announced it has secured an agreement with the independent French media group, Le Groupe Dépêche, and its subsidiary Midol Sports, to broadcast all Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique matches in the 2026 Betfred Super League season, live in France. The deal was secured by RL Commercial’s strategic partner, IMG. 

The agreement will see Le Groupe Dépêche broadcast a minimum of  51 matches from the regular season live on its premium digital platform Rugbyrama, bringing the league to a growing and passionate rugby audience in France. The coverage will feature French commentary, as well as a dedicated weekly wrap-up programme including highlights of all the very best live action from the league, with additional coverage published across the Group’s media outlets including Midi Olympique, L’Indépendant, and the Rugbyrama Twitch channel. Collectively, the Group’s digital audiences exceed 200 million visits per month, with Rugbyrama and Midi Olympique reaching more than 800,000 fans together.  

This season will mark the second time both French clubs have competed in the Betfred Super League together, following Toulouse Olympique’s first campaign in 2022. Rugbyrama’s coverage will kick off with the Catalans Dragons’ home tie at the Stade Gilbert Brutus against Huddersfield Giants on Friday 13th February, followed by  Toulouse Olympique’s visit to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday 14th February, with a bumper crowd expected at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.  

Rugbyrama will also show the Catalans Dragon’s 20th anniversary celebration game against Wigan Warriors in Paris on Saturday 6th June, as well as the three French derby matches that start with  Toulouse travelling to Perpignan for the ‘Rivals Round’ on Saturday 4th April.  This includes a Magic WKND match on the weekend of July 4-5th,  which will take place at a neutral venue in France. 

Emmanuel Massicard, Director of Midol Sports, said: "We are delighted to offer this experience to Dragons and TO fans, and to share together what promises to be a magnificent season. Rugbyrama and L’Indépendant, with the support of Groupe Dépêche, will bring their expertise, engagement, and the passion of their teams to unite all Rugby League fans around the Super League. We are delighted to offer this experience to Dragons and TO fans, and to share together what promises to be a magnificent season." 

Adam Treeby, Head of Broadcast, RL Commercial, said: “Welcoming La Depeche to our overseas broadcast partners is positive news ahead of the start of what promises to be a bumper season of action in the Betfred Super League. Both Super League and the Dragons will celebrate significant milestones in 2026, with the competition turning 30 and the Dragons marking 20 years in Super League, while Toulouse is celebrating a first return to the top flight since 2022.

“We’ve experienced first-hand the passion of French rugby league supporters over the years, so we hope this renewed coverage of the sport in France helps the teams to continue to grow their support base and brand both locally and internationally.” 

Sébastien Munoz, CEO, Catalans Dragons, said: “This is excellent news for our supporters and partners. We are delighted to strengthen our ties with this media group, which is the benchmark in the world of rugby, on the occasion of this anniversary season for the club. We are also very pleased to be able to maintain free access for our supporters. This new broadcast partnership guarantees essential visibility in France, in addition to our international exposure.”

Olivier Dubois, Chairman, Toulouse Olympique, added: "This is fantastic news, first and foremost for Toulouse Olympique, but also for French rugby league as a whole. The fact that Group ‘La Depeche du Midi’, club's long-standing partner and a major player in regional sports news, has been chosen by the Super League and IMG to broadcast the entire competition in France via Rugbyrama, gives this season a special dimension. It will give rugby league unprecedented visibility and enable our two French clubs competing in the Super League to reach a much wider audience. This partnership makes perfect sense in Occitanie, which is a rugby stronghold in all its forms, both league and union.”