The Ligue 1 Broadcasting issues!
Dr.Tanishq Katti
Sales & BDM | Founder - The Football Digest | Podcast Host | Football Writer
BY: Dr.Tanishq Katti
As of today, Ligue 1 would not be broadcasted on any major platform for the upcoming season! Clubs like Paris Saint-Germain , AS Monaco & many others would not have the liberty to be watched in their domestic league by various people across the world. This all sounds too dramatic to be true but the fact of the matter is - Ligue 1 is in crisis mode as of today.
Their partnership with beIN expired at the end of last season, bringing the curtains down on a 5-year association with the company. Since the last season, executives at LFP (Ligue de Football Professional) have been trying to negotiate a deal which would see the rights for their domestic league to be sold at a premium. The problem arises with the fact that none of the traditional companies have been interested in buying these rights at the quoted price of 1 billion a season.
Ligue 1 has been at the top of the list for controversies in terms of the new deal for the broadcasting rights of the French Ligue. The former Marseille president has been in the firing line for being unable to negotiate a deal which suits all types of clubs in the domestic league with some sources even mentioning that "it would be difficult to even survive with the money being offered on the table".
The league has drifted apart from the "traditional" top 4 leagues in Europe in terms of revenue generation from such deals. Here are the figures for the broadcasting rights of the rest of the top 5 leagues in Europe:
With these reported figures being much higher than the estimated fee which Ligue 1 would receive from the interested parties, causes an issue for the clubs who depend on revenue generated through these outlets. The reported bids for these rights include the ones from DAZN who have offered 400 million euros a season while the higher bid of 600 million euros from Warner Bros Discovery Max service which includes creating an in house TV channel would be the preferred option for Labrune.
The prospects for the situation to get better in the future hangs in the balance with the star of the French league - Kylian Mbappe leaving PSG for a transfer to Real Madrid this summer. With clubs like Chelsea buying a majority stake in teams like Strasbourg and using them as a feeder club for their younger players to get better exposure, the credibility of the league is in danger. Rich owners like INEOS buying a stake in top clubs like Manchester United would only lead to the deterioration of the league in the coming years as the English clubs move farther away in terms of their finances. PSG being a state owned club would not be affected significantly from these decisions which would make beating them to the league title even more difficult.
Club owners of AS Monaco have been open to the sale of their majority stake in the club for quite some time which also shows the lack of genuine interest from investors across the world. Top Ligue 1 officials must be innovative in management of the finances associated with such deals and make it more relevant for the associated clubs while also maintaining a sense of competitiveness within the league.
Only the future would answer these doubts which are raised in the current situation, but what are the alternatives to a league which is down on it's knees and may not be seen anywhere in the world next season!
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section - What do you think is the right step for the governing body of football in France?