Amazon's OTT streaming heavyweight, Prime Video, has recently inked a carriage deal with the French club soccer governing body, the LFP. This agreement will allow Prime Video to host the LFP's in-house direct-to-consumer (DTC) service, Ligue 1 Plus.
The new service is set to launch on August 11th and will be available at a discounted introductory rate of €12.99 ($15.12) per month for a full-year subscription until August 31st. Interestingly enough, sports fans won't require a Prime Video subscription to access this channel.
Prime Video now joins telecom and TV heavyweights such as Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange, SFR along with DAZN OTT service as hosts of this DTC offering.
Exclusive coverage from season start
From the start of the upcoming 2025-26 season on August 15th onwards, this new channel will domestically cover eight out of nine games per matchday exclusively. The ninth match (a BeIN live exclusive game) will be broadcast delayed.
In addition to live matches coverage; two magazine shows and other ancillary content including shoulder programming produced by Mediawan would also be featured on this platform.
LFP president, Vincent Labrune, said:
“We have greatly reduced our Ligue 1 clubs’ dependence on domestic rights. All our economic indicators are on the rise. Commercial rights, international rights, UEFA rights… Yes, there is a problem with domestic rights, but it's not for lack of looking for solutions for two and a half years, solutions that we haven't found because the market is what it is."
“We have club owners who are ready and who have all endorsed this channel project, which is a medium- to long-term project, because they have the means to cope with one or two years without domestic rights. We must stop thinking that Ligue 1 will collapse because there are no domestic rights. The channel is risky, it’s not easy, but it’s exciting. It’s an adventure, and it’s disruptive. We said we wanted to create an innovative league. French football also means launching your own product.”
Subscriptions can initially be purchased at €14.99 ($17.66) per month for an annual subscription or opt for a non-committal monthly tier priced at $19.99 per month - both options being significantly lower than what last season's primary domestic rightsholder - DAZN was charging.
Prime Video's history with Ligue 1
The UK arm of Prime Video had previously hosted the Ligue 1 matches direct-to-consumer PPV service across the 2024-25 campaign before a domestic offering in France was launched. Moreover, between the 2020-21 and 2023-24 campaigns, Prime Video served as the rightsholder for Ligue 1 in France, stepping in after the collapse of the league’s original deal with Mediapro.
This new partnership marks another significant step for both Amazon and LFP as they continue to enhance their offerings to sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike. With this move, they are not only expanding their reach but also providing an affordable and accessible platform for soccer lovers to enjoy their favorite sport.
