Barely a month before the kick-off of the new Ligue 1 season, the Professional Football League (LFP) has finally reached an agreement for the broadcasting of the championship.
This is the end of a saga that has lasted for many weeks. During a board meeting held on Sunday, July 14, the LFP reached an agreement with the English platform Dazn and the BeIN Sports channel for the broadcasting rights to Ligue 1 McDonald’s until 2029. While the former will broadcast eight matches per day (for 400 million euros per season), the latter obtained the TV rights for the last match (100 million euros).
With this agreement and revenues totalling 500 million euros per year, the league has nevertheless failed to meet its initial objectives (which were set at 578 million euros on average per season). “It was necessary to find the best solution for the clubs, in terms of exposure and cash flow. Finding and securing this agreement with DAZN and BeIn Sports is the solution that, after several hours of discussions, was practically unanimous among the Ligue 1 presidents. This is obviously not the result that we had initially imagined, but it allows us not to compromise the future.”Jean-Pierre Caillot, president of Stade de Reims and president of the Ligue 1 college, told AFP.
The football institution has therefore abandoned its project to launch a 100% Ligue 1 channel – co-managed with the Max platform of Warner Bros Discovery – which failed to convince the presidents of the professional clubs in the championship.
Up to 45 euros per month to follow Ligue 1?
Rather unknown to the French public, the Dazn platform will therefore be the main broadcaster of the competition. But while the Prime Video Ligue 1 pass was offered at less than 100 euros per season (in addition to the classic subscription price to the platform), the prices mentioned for this new formula are enough to make football fans grind their teeth. To follow the eight matches of the French championship broadcast on Dazn, they would have to pay… 40 euros per month! However, another formula at 30 euros for a 12-month commitment would also be offered to them.
But seriously, who is going to pay 30 or 40 € for Ligue 1? These people are totally disconnected from football fans.
Mediapro was a fiasco, but DAZN is going to be a drama for French football. https://t.co/EXWetMG0fY
– Hopes of Football (@EspoirsduFoot) July 14, 2024
Added to this is the 15 euros needed to subscribe to BeIN Sports and thus enjoy the main match of each day. Prices that do not seem to be unanimous on the web (mild euphemism…): “But seriously, who is going to pay 30 or 40 € for Ligue 1? These people are totally disconnected from football fans. Mediapro was a fiasco, but DAZN is going to be a tragedy for French football.”we can for example read on X.
Source: www.e-marketing.fr
