Could a black screen occur on French basketball screens? According to information from Le Parisien, the new broadcaster Skweek is experiencing financial difficulties, which have had consequences on its activities, in particular an inability to settle certain of its commitments.
The OTT digital platform, an offshoot of FedCom Médias (itself a branch of FedCom, a company headed by the businessman of Russian origin with Hungarian and Monegasque passports Alexey Fedorychev, also president of the Monaco club), broadcasts the Euroleague since last year and acquired, via a sub-license granted by the L’Equipe channel, the rights to the French Championship from this season, for seven financial years, at a rate of several million euros per year .
Skweek, also a jersey sponsor of Asvel, is also in business with a subsidiary of L’Équipe, 21 Production, to which it subcontracts the production of all elite basketball matches, but does not has still not paid for production for several months. “For the League, the situation is worrying but not dramatic or lethal,” conceded Philippe Ausseur, president of the LNB to Le Parisien. “The TV rights were paid regularly,” Skweek said in a press release, which said it was “working with the L’Équipe group to regularize the situation as quickly as possible” regarding production costs.
A meeting would have been held on Friday between the various players in the file and others are planned in the coming days, it was confirmed to L’Équipe.
