LFP considers selling all Ligue 1 TV rights in one package

LFP considers selling all Ligue 1 TV rights in one package The Professional Football League (LFP) is set to vote on a proposal to sell the broadcasting rights to all Ligue 1 matches in a single package, according to Le Progres . LFP Media chief executive officer Olivier Bramly has urged the league’s board of directors to consider the plan. The LFP could launch a bidding process as early as November, giving interested broadcasters one month to submit their offers. The proposal follows the recent adoption of a law on the financing of professional sport, which allows the league to bring all its broadcasting rights together rather than selling them in separate packages. According to a source close to the LFP, club presidents support the idea. The proposed agreement would cover 2027-2032, moving the process forward by two years. The current rights cycle began in 2024 and is scheduled to run until 2029. Bramly said the new timeline reflects market expectations after spending almost three months speaking with potential buyers. However, the move has brought the financial performance of Ligue 1+, the league’s own streaming service, under the spotlight. French football launched the platform after struggling to secure suitable broadcasting deals for Ligue 1 matches ahead of the 2024/25 season. Its earnings have fallen well below the levels clubs previously received from television rights. Pierre Maes, a consultant specialising in sports broadcasting rights, believes the decision to seek new buyers so early reflects the difficulties facing Ligue 1+. He estimates the platform generated no more than €90 million during the 2024/25 season, while costing around €65m annually to operate. French football once earned close to €600m a year from television rights before the LFP ended its long-standing relationship with Canal+ in 2018. The collapse of Mediapro, Amazon’s lower-priced deal and DAZN’s disappointing commercial performance have subsequently contributed to a decline in the value of Ligue 1’s broadcasting rights. The new tender could attract streaming companies such as Netflix, Apple and Disney+, which recently secured French broadcasting rights for La Liga. Bramly has reportedly received serious expressions of interest from potential buyers, although Canal+ may not return to the fold. Some club presidents would welcome the broadcaster’s return, but Maes believes the company would consider a deal only if it offered strong financial returns.