FuboTV-owned French live TV streaming platform, Molotov, has entered into a non-exclusive carriage agreement with French soccer’s top-flight Ligue 1 for the 2025-2026 season. This partnership will allow customers who subscribe to Ligue 1+ on Molotov access to eight of the nine live matches each game day.
The deal was made possible through a tie-up with the French club soccer governing body, LFP. As part of this arrangement, Molotov will carry Ligue 1+, an in-house direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform recently launched by the league. The DTC platform was designed to broadcast most of its matches domestically.
Subscribers will have access not only to live games but also a delayed broadcast of an additional match shown in France by BeIN Sports pay-TV broadcaster.
Exclusive content for subscribers
Beyond live matches, subscribers have much to anticipate with exclusive shows and content produced by Mediawan. This includes in-depth game analysis that provides a comprehensive understanding of each match, documentaries that offer behind-the-scenes insights into the world of soccer, match replays for those who want to relive the excitement or catch up on missed games, and club-specific programming tailored to fans' favorite teams.
This comprehensive package aims at providing sports fans with an immersive experience that goes beyond just watching games. Last week, Prime Video owned by Amazon also agreed on a carriage deal for Ligue 1+. Telecom giants like Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange and SFR along with DAZN OTT service are hosts of this DTC offering as well.
According to Nicolas de Tavernost, director general at LFP Media, since its debut last weekend coinciding with the opening fixtures of the new season; over 600k subscribers have already signed up for the service matching figures from last season's entirety on DAZN. The LFP executive is hopeful of exceeding 1 million subscribers by the end of the season.
Molotov's football offering
The addition of Ligue 1+ to its platform enhances Molotov’s soccer offering, which already includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Coupe de France domestic cup competition through its carriage of free-to-air channels such as TF1, M6, and France TV.
Molotov was acquired by US-based live TV and sports streaming service FuboTV in 2021 for €164.3 million. Despite this acquisition, the French platform founded in 2015 remains based in its home country under the leadership of co-founder Jean-David Blanc who was appointed president when FuboTV completed its acquisition.
This new partnership between Molotov and Ligue 1+ promises to provide an enhanced viewing experience for sports fans while also expanding their access to exclusive content.
