The French Professional Football League (LFP) is reportedly moving forward with plans to establish a domestic direct-to-consumer (DTC) service to broadcast Ligue 1 matches. This comes as the league has yet to secure a media rights deal for the upcoming season.
Previously, Ligue 1 had agreements with Amazon and Canal+ worth €605m per season. However, these deals have not been renewed, leaving the league without a media partner for the forthcoming season. The league has also abandoned its initial revenue target of €1bn.
The proposed DTC service
The proposed unnamed DTC service would offer all 306 matches at a cost of between €25 ($26.82) and €30 ($32.19 million) per month. It aims to be available on major Internet Protocol television (IPTV) platforms in France, intending to drive awareness and adoption.
With an ambitious goal of attracting two million subscribers in its first year, the LFP hopes this new venture could generate more than €518 million ($556 million) per season in subscription revenue alone. Additional income from advertisers and other opportunities could potentially bring an average of €578 million ($620 million) per season over the five-year length of the next rights cycle.
While these plans are being developed, negotiations with potential broadcasters such as Amazon, BeIN Sports, Canal+, and DAZN continue. These ongoing discussions mean that these contingency plans may never need to be implemented if satisfactory agreements can be reached.
However, should Ligue 1 proceed with its DTC service plan; clubs will likely receive less than they currently do if this project goes ahead due to changes in revenue distribution models under this new system.
Past agreements and disputes
Until the end of last season, Amazon Prime Video held Ligue 1’s domestic rights, paying €275 million ($295 million) a season to show eight fixtures per week. Canal+ showed the other two games via a sub-licensing deal with BeIN Sports worth €330 million ($354 million) annually.
This arrangement followed the collapse of Ligue 1’s previous €814 million ($873 million) a year agreement with Mediapro, which launched the Telefoot network to broadcast games. Canal+, frustrated at being unable to renegotiate its contract following Telefoot's collapse and Amazon's subsequent acquisition of rights in 2021, took both matters to court but failed on both counts.
Canal+ has since stated it is not interested in any deal with the LFP, ending a near 40-year relationship.
As French soccer gears up for another exciting season, fans will be eagerly waiting for news about how they can watch their favorite teams play. Whether through traditional broadcasters or an innovative DTC service from LFP itself, one thing is certain: French football will continue to captivate audiences worldwide.
