Ligue 1 continues to negotiate the sale of its broadcasting rights, with Amazon, DAZN, and BeIN Sports all showing interest. However, the French Professional Football League (LFP) is also considering launching its own streaming platform.
This direct-to-consumer (DTC) service is seen as a backup plan by the LFP, with a deal for the 2024/25 season still pending. Launching such a platform would be an unprecedented move for a European football league.
Although other European leagues have considered similar ideas, they have generally been dismissed due to the high costs of sports broadcasting rights, which typically make partnering with established broadcasters more profitable. These partnerships usually generate more revenue.
L’Équipe reports that the streaming service could generate over €518 million per season through subscriptions, which would cost between €25 and €30 per month. Additionally, if created, the DTC platform might also be hosted on other streaming services like DAZN to increase revenue and visibility.
Managed by LFP Media, the Ligue 1 streaming service could attract around two million subscribers if launched in time. The LFP has been driven to consider this option due to slow progress in negotiations with current partners, with the season set to start on August 18. This situation has arisen because of high asking prices for broadcast rights.
Last year, LFP President Vincent Labrune aimed for a price tag of over €200 million per season and sought a long-term partnership. However, the bidding process ended in October without success, as potential partners did not share Labrune’s valuation of the league.
The previous broadcast deal, worth €582 million for 2021-24, saw Amazon Prime Video and Canal+ splitting the rights to Ligue 1 matches, with Amazon airing 304 matches and Canal+ 76 each season. Broadcasters might be reluctant to meet Labrune’s asking price due to the recent departure of high-profile players like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar-jr, and Lionel Messi from the league.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Telegram channel!
