Canal+ Drops Ligue 1 Broadcast Rights

“Canal+ throws in the towel.” The Canal+ group renounces to distribute the future channel of the Professional Football League (LFP), announced its president Maxime Saada on Friday, June 27, judging in an interview with The team that “Conditions are not met”. “We informed the League this Friday. It’s a missed meeting“explains the boss of the former historic partner of French football.

After the divorce in early May between the LFP and the Dazn streaming platform, which was the main broadcaster of Ligue 1 since the start of the 2024-25 season, the League has opted for the creation of a 100% L1 channel of which it will be the owner. Contacts had been established between LFP Media, the Commercial Company of the League, and the Canal+group.

Two scenarios were envisaged, MAXIME SAADA confirmed on Friday evening. The first proposed that Canal+, with a guaranteed minimum to be determined, would be an exclusive distributor of the chain. In this context, the encrypted channel wanted the Sunday evening poster co-published. In the second, the group proposed to be a non-exclusive distributor, like all other market players, with the advantage of benefiting from a typing force in France without any municipality. “We estimated very quickly between 800,000 and 1 million subscribers to launch, just with Canal+”Assure Maxime to get.

An appointment was envisaged with Nicolas de Tavernost, former boss of M6 and the Girondins de Bordeaux, which became the end of April Director General of LFP Media. “It will not take place”decided Maxime Saada, who advances “The price of the subscription” as “The first subject of deep disagreement between us”. “There will be a Ligue 1 channel for resumption of the championship”had promised Nicolas de Tavernost on June 11, in an interview with AFP.