International sports streaming service, DAZN, has reportedly offered an average of €375 million ($406.3 million) over five years for a significant portion of the Ligue 1 French domestic soccer rights. This comes as the 2024-25 season of Ligue 1 is currently without a domestic broadcaster ahead of its start in mid-August.
According to reports, DAZN's offer to French league soccer’s governing body, LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel), starts at €300 million across 2024-25 and gradually increases to reach €500 million by the end of the contract in 2028-29. If accepted, DAZN would cover eight out of nine Ligue 1 matches per matchday through this period.
The proposal arrives amidst uncertainty over domestic broadcasting rights for the next commercial cycle with no offers meeting LFP's requirements yet on table. The new campaign is set to commence on August 18th and there is mounting pressure on LFP to resolve this issue swiftly.
DAZN offer on par with previous deals
In comparison with previous deals, global tech and retail giant Amazon paid €250 million annually for broadcasting eight matches per week through its Prime video streaming service during the last cycle. Pay-TV heavyweight Canal Plus paid slightly more at €332 million annually but only covered two matches.
The organization initially tendered both Ligue 1 and second-tier league - Ligue 2 matches rights for an extended five-year cycle after receiving permission from the French government in September last year.
Impact of star player departure
However, it's worth noting that these negotiations are happening amidst significant changes within French football landscape. One such change being Kylian Mbappe – one of League’s biggest stars – moving from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Spanish giants Real Madrid next season. This could potentially impact the value of Ligue 1's domestic rights.
One potential solution being considered by the LFP is the creation of a new in-house dedicated Ligue 1 channel and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) service which would carry all domestic games. The plans for this channel were reportedly proposed in late June, aiming to attract as many as two million subscribers and generate over €578 million in its first season.
DAZN has been actively expanding its portfolio, having already secured domestic rights to a French sporting property earlier this year through a deal with France’s National Basketball League (NBL) organizer and its FFBB governing body.
While there are still uncertainties surrounding the future broadcaster for Ligue 1, DAZN's offer presents an interesting option that could shape the future of sports broadcasting within French football.
