DAZN will have great difficulty fulfilling the condition ensuring it continues to broadcast Ligue 1 after December 2025. This also concerns BeIN Sports, a collateral victim of this situation.
The two holders of Ligue 1 TV rights are linked. In the contract signed by DAZN to broadcast the French championship since the summer of 2024, there is a clause which authorizes the British platform to negotiate its exit from December 2025 if the figure of 1.5 million subscribers does not This has not been achieved at this time, a year and a half after the contract came into force. With an announced figure of 500,000 subscribers, the “Netflix of Sports” can prepare the boxes, despite promotional offers and improved content since the beginning. Media specialist for RMC, Arthur Perrot specifies according to his sources that DAZN no longer believes in a clear increase in subscribers. Studies have shown that the sports channel has already attracted 90% of potential subscribers, and that a surge in newcomers is not anticipated. However, despite some leaks, the official figures for DAZN in France have still not been revealed, and they could still have passed the 500,000 subscriber mark with recent offers.
BeIN Sports asks questions
Not enough to hold the contract in the long term, while it is rumored that the British platform wants to revise the price of its payments downwards, to renege on the contract at 400 million euros. A situation which also worries BeIN Sports, whose contract is linked to that of DAZN. If the latter withdraws, then the Qatari media will lose the rights to its Ligue 1 match per weekend. Enough to worry the two broadcasters therefore, especially since the solution of an internal channel to the LFP is still considered, but presents no guarantee of income. This while everyone is asking the question of the profitability of French football for broadcasters, knowing that a study carried out by France Info reveals that piracy costs French football 200 million euros per year. A nice slump in perspective, even if DAZN and BeIN at least have the merit of settling the bill on time from now on.
