DAZN has emerged as the front runner to score domestic Ligue 1 rights, signalling a shakeup in the French football broadcasting landscape.
The sports streaming service has reportedly upped its offer for the 2024-29 cycle, according to French publication RMC Sport, following a tense series of negotiations for the top-flight football league.
Bidding wars
The fallout began in 2018, when Canal+, the rights holder since 1984, was beaten at auction by Spanish company Mediapro. The firm shelled out a record €814 million per season for the 2020-24 rights, only to start missing payments when the group hit financial problems. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) terminated the contract.
The LFP put the rights vacated by Mediapro back up for auction. Canal+ and beIN, which held the remaining TV rights, launched a joint bid. But the rights were awarded to Amazon for €259 million per season. Canal+ protested the decision, pointing out that it was paying more for two games per week than Amazon did for eight games. The French company refused to broadcast its matches as a result.
The situation was complicated further by the fact beIN actually held the rights, with Canal+ sublicensing them from the Qatari company. A court case followed between the two broadcasters, and Canal+ was compelled to keep airing the games under the terms of its contract with BeIN.
But the LFP’s worries were far from over, having lost around $600 million per season from reselling the rights at such a heavy discount. The league therefore entered its 2024-29 auction targeting around €800 per season for its domestic packages.
Kicked into touch
Still reeling from the “mathematical aberration” it suffered in the previous auction, Canal+ declined to bid for the Ligue 1 rights in September 2023, accusing the LFP of sidelining the broadcaster in favour of Amazon. In an internal memo, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said a bid would be “pointless for the group.”
Reports suggest the league was hoping to spark a bidding war between Amazon, Canal+, BeIN Sports and DAZN. Those hopes were dashed when offers came in below target, and the LFP cancelled the auction in October.
Now the league has reportedly lowered its expectations, aiming to net the same amount as its current agreements. The LFP has opted for private discussions instead of an auction, and DAZN is said to have raised its offer for the Ligue 1 rights. BeIN Sports also remains in contention, according to RMC Sport, with Amazon still in the running for the Friday evening game. There is currently no deadline in place for an agreement to be reached.
A DAZN deal was thought to be off the table in November, with the company reserving funds for a Premier League bid in the UK. In the end the Premier League rights went to Sky and TNT Sports, leaving the door open for DAZN (and potentially Amazon) to pursue opportunities in France. Such a deal would expand DAZN’s foothold in the European football market; the sports streaming company already holds Bundesliga rights in Germany and Serie A in Italy, making domestic Ligue 1 rights a serious prospect.
