The LFP and Ligue 1 clubs are in the dark regarding TV rights. DAZN is not emerging and could go away soon. Canal+ is the only hope of French Football. Pierre Ménès gives the conditions for the return of the encrypted channel to be possible.
While several French clubs are sticking their tongues out financially, things are likely to get much worse in the coming months. At the end of 2025, DAZN will be able to terminate its Ligue 1 broadcast contract with the LFP. A scenario made possible if the million and a half subscribers are not reached. For the moment, the British platform has three times less according to the latest estimates. The League would no longer have any channel to broadcast the matches and pay the clubs. A tragedy when DAZN was the main contact last summer when it was necessary to sell the TV rights.
Without Labrune, Canal will inevitably return
What to do next? The creation of a specific channel by the LFP is possible but very risky. For many observers, only Canal+ can save Ligue 1. An analysis followed by Pierre Ménès. The former member of Canal Football Club believes, however, that it will take several factors for the group led by Vincent Bolloré to return to the game. This involves the departure of Vincent Labrune, the current president of the LFP. Then, we must find additional funds to pay the rights and the departure of Canal de la TNT will help.
-« And above all, you have to know how much Canal is willing to put in. First of all, I'm not sure that Canal wants to discuss anything while Labrune is there. He's taken them for fools enough for years. We must also not forget that Canal pays 480 million per year for all European cups. The Canal wallet is not expandable. Afterwards, Canal withdrew from TNT and from financing part of French cinema. There is a way to recover 200 million but in the context of French football, that is not enough. We need at least 600 million », he indicates on his Youtube channel. Suffice to say that a second actor like beIN Sports will also have to intervene. A Canal-beIN ticket with the common subscription linking the two groups would be a boon for the LFP and the consumer.
