On paper, the bride is already not very good: a five-year contract for the period 2024-2029 at 540 million euros in annual domestic rights from two broadcasters (DAZN for the main and BeIn Sports in the secondary), plus an additional 120 million from the international to broadcast Ligue 1. This is far from the billion hoped for when the call for tenders was launched by the Professional Football League (LFP), exactly one year ago, in October 2023.
Far from the billion envisaged a year ago
On arrival, the operation has a slight taste of disappointment, even bitterness for the bosses of the eighteen clubs of the French football elite. Their championship is far from supporting the accounting comparison of close European neighbors (3.7 billion euros shared by Premier League clubs, 1.7 billion those in La Liga, or 1.5 billion in the Bundesliga), but Furthermore, after removal of taxes, charges and other debts, the sharing of the port is reduced to the bare minimum.
Firstly, 13% of TV rights are recovered by CVC, financial partner of the LFP, for its capital contribution. Added to this are 5% of the Buffet tax, 2.5% for the French Football Federation (FFF), as well as various contributions to the unions of players, coaches, clubs and referees. In addition, part of the income is donated to Ligue 2, and the League must also cover the reimbursement of 7.3 million euros linked to the financing of its new headquarters, as well as its operating costs, including in particular the salary of its president.
Only half of it goes to Ligue 1 clubs
Thus, out of the initial 660 million euros gross, the amount remaining to be shared between Ligue 1 clubs fluctuates between 300 and 350 million euros per year. And nothing can guarantee that the worst is not to come, if DAZN exercises its withdrawal clause within a year, at the end of 2025, as authorized by the British platform under the contract, in case it would not succeed in gathering 1.5 million subscribers. According to the estimates of The Team this Saturday, October 12, it would have a third of them.
