New legal success for the Professional Football League (LFP). Two weeks after winning a case against Canal +, LFP Media this time saw the courts rule in its favor in the dispute between it and Bein Sports. The League announced the new episode of this soap opera via a press release published this Tuesday.
The Franco-Qatarian channel did not pay all of the sums it owed to the LFP at each due date as part of Ligue 1 broadcasting rights. It only paid 14 of the 18 million euros due for each payment and claimed 29 million euros from the League. The reason? Bein Sports contests the conditions imposed by the LFP on the broadcast of its only meeting during each day of Ligue 1.
This Tuesday, the Paris Economic Activities Court ruled against the broadcaster. LFP and LFP Media “take note of the favorable judgment rendered today”, communicated the League. “This decision recalls the importance of respecting the contractual commitments between LFP MEDIA and Bein Sports, concerning the Ligue 1 match” broadcast by the Franco-Qatarian channel.
More than 14 million to be paid
According to information from L’Équipe, the court demanded that the broadcaster pay the sum of 14.13 million euros to LFP Media to remedy this non-payment.
“Following this decision, the LFP and LFP MEDIA express the hope that, following the judgments handed down by the Court of Appeal on January 14, lasting relationships of trust can be established with all of their partners, while respecting the reciprocal commitments of each party,” wrote the League.
For its part, Bein Sports indicated that it would study “all possible avenues of appeal without delay”. “LFP Media’s persistent refusal to engage in constructive dialogue on our legitimate and reasonable concerns – going so far as to reject any attempt at mediation – has forced us to take this action,” the channel communicated.
“The fact that LFP Media regularly finds itself in court against its current and former broadcasters – who nevertheless constitute the clubs’ main source of income – unlike any other major football league, is in itself revealing and explains the current financial situation, which is particularly worrying,” she added.
