Solar eclipse coverage dominates French television programming

On August 12, 2026, France experienced a near-total solar eclipse, the first of its kind in the country in 27 years. Major television networks implemented special programming to cover the celestial event.

France 2 aired a special broadcast at 19:45 presented by Jean-Baptiste Marteau, featuring astrophysicist Françoise Combes and editor Alain Cirou. The network also utilized journalists in France and Spain to provide live updates. To capitalize on the event, France 2 scheduled a rebroadcast of the mini-series ‘L’Eclipse’ starring Claire Keim.

TF1 also provided extensive coverage with a special edition starting at 19:55, presented by Jean-Baptiste Boursier. While the eclipse drove significant interest, France 2 saw a decline in midday viewership during an interview with actress Virginie Efira, which saw audiences drop below 1.8 million viewers.