CANAL+ has chosen to take a firm and transparent position regarding the broadcasting rights of Ligue 1. Indeed, under the direction of Maxime Saada, the group refuses to get involved in the negotiations for the next rights, covering the period from 2024 to 2029.
In an interview with Le Figaro, Saada highlighted the fact that CANAL+ had already declined the opportunity to participate in the initial call for tenders for these rights. In addition, the channel will not take part in ongoing discussions for a direct agreement.
This decision is unequivocal: if the current talks fail, CANAL+ will not be there to save the situation and Maxime Saada insists in particular on the fact that the channel does not want to be held responsible for the possible crisis in French football, refusing to repeat the errors made during the abandonment of rights by Mediapro.
CANAL+ is redirecting its resources towards streaming: an adaptive strategy in the face of changes in the media landscape, with potential partnerships in sight
CANAL+’s veto of exploiting opportunities to recoup rights at reduced prices is significant, reflecting a strategic choice to redirect resources to other areas, such as partnerships with streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+ .
In other words, this highlights CANAL+’s desire to adapt to changes in the media landscape, rather than clinging to traditional models.
However, although CANAL+ is withdrawing from direct negotiations, this does not mean that it completely rules out the possibility of collaborating with other broadcasters in the future.
Once the current sales process is finalized, the chain will re-evaluate its options. Speculation is already circulating about a possible collaboration with beIN Sports if the latter obtains the broadcast rights.
This possibility appears to be close to coming to fruition, requiring only a few adjustments to be officially confirmed.
Source Le Figaro
