essential
After the refusal this Tuesday, April 15 of Dazn of the financial proposal sent by the mediator as part of the conflict around TV rights of Ligue 1, the litigation between the diffuser and the League continues. With a certainty for the end of the season games, but questions for the future. What future for Ligue 1 on TV from the next school year?
Where to see the Ligue 1 matches next season? This question is complex in the current situation. DAZN refused this Tuesday, April 15, the rupture proposal made by the LFP, enough to leave doubts about the broadcast of next season. For the moment, Dazn should therefore continue to broadcast the matches. The amount of his rights would simply be a little higher, as provided for in the contract on the second year.
Read also:
TV rights crisis: the verdict has fallen, the LFP and Ligue 1 want to break the contract with Dazn
Problem: Dazn does not want to continue in current conditions, considering being injured in relation to the purchased product. The platform loses too much money to her liking, so it is strongly likely that she wants to extend the situation and assert her arguments in justice. Dazn has already filed an appeal against the League before the Paris economic activity court. The broadcaster claims 573 million euros for “observed breach” and “deception on the goods”. Difficult in this context of imagining Dazn continuing without blinking the broadcasting of matches under the conditions of the current contract.
Canal + in saver ?
The looks naturally turn to the historical diffuser, Canal +. But the conditions are not met today, for two reasons. First economical since the encrypted chain is already paying almost € 480 million per season for European cuts until 2027, € 90 million per year until 2029 for F1 or even more than € 250 million for its exclusive beIN Sports distribution contract until 2030.
Read also:
TV rights crisis: DAZN (finally) paid its debt of 35 million euros to the LFP, the latter “withdraws” from its summary proceedings
Then, Canal + is still in litigation with the LFP for an inequality of treatment on the previous contract with Amazon and as long as this conflict is not definitively settled, the encrypted chain does not seem to want to broadcast the championship directly.
What alternatives?
What about beIN SPORTS? After Canal +, the eyes turn to BeIN Sports. But here again, problem: it would take the agreement of his partner Canal +, his financial support which allows him, today, to be finally profitable. In addition, the conflict of interest, strongly reproached last summer in Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of PSG and Bein Media Group, does not seem to promote cooperation with the chain.
Read also:
TV rights crisis: “A small club in front of a very powerful country”, John Textor threatens to attack PSG in court and openly tackles Qatar
For the moment, the only alternative that seems possible to Dazn for the LFP is the creation of its famous internal chain. It was even the alternative to Dazn last summer, supported by some presidents at the time, Joseph Oughourlian in Lens and John Textor in Lyon. The main lines of the chain project then provided an association with Max (Eurosport included), the platform sold by Warnerbros, to integrate its content portfolio alongside prestigious series. The subscriber would therefore have had access to a wide choice of content for 27.99 euros per month.
Read also:
Football: “I am a man of dialogue” … speaking with Canal +, how Jean-Michel Aulas tries to resolve the TV rights crisis
The idea is to offer all L1 matches in the same place and the league is master of its channel, from production to distribution, including the editorial aspect. Distribution agreements should be found with all Internet service providers (SFR, Bouygues, Orange, Free) but also Canal +, even Amazon, Netflix, Molotov. But the enormous issue of this option remains the financing of clubs. While waiting for subscription money, it would be necessary to ensure the income of clubs by associating with a financial organization for several months.
A giant headache therefore, that we will have to pay as soon as possible before the start of the next season, on August 15 …
