The Professional Football League has not found a broadcaster for the next Ligue 1 season. These are now the channels which have complete control over the L1 championship.
Vincent Labrune may well be the boss of the LFP, the lack of visibility for Ligue 1 from August 16 or reduced broadcasting on a 100% League channel reserved for those who have the means to pay 30 euros just for this would be the announcement of a huge crisis which could take away everything in its path, including the former boss of OM. At less than and a half from the start of the 2024-2025 season, L1 clubs are at a standstill while waiting to know who will pay for the broadcast rights for their championship, and above all who will be able to pay the first installment they expect from August. While Maxime Saada, the boss of Canal+, attended the Top 14 final at the Vélodrome on Friday evening, and Beinsports is enjoying Euro 2024, these two channels now have the future of Ligue 1 in their hands. And they know it, which is necessarily bad for the Professional Football League.
Ligue 1 is now in great danger
Each day that passes makes the position of Canal+ and Beinsports stronger and that of Ligue 1 weaker. In Point, Luc Arrondel, sports economist and research director at CNRS, notes that the balance of power is terribly bad for the 18 elite clubs. “ One thing is for sure, clubs are going to have to tighten their belts. Club wage bills are going to drop and this is likely to lead to the sale of the best players and therefore a drop in the general quality of Ligue 1. I thought the situation would be resolved sooner. The problem is that the longer we wait, the more the negotiating power shifts to the broadcaster and the lower the total amount will be. », Warns the specialist, who does not really see how things can end well for Ligue 1 in this extremely important matter.
