The continuous soap opera. In dispute with its main broadcaster, Dazn, the LFP is still awaiting the payment of 140 million euros agreed for this season, divided into two deadlines of € 70 million scheduled for April 30 and June 30. However, the British platform threatens to pay only 90 million in total, arguing of commercial damage. She notably criticizes the professional football league a lack of promotion around clubs and a fight deemed insufficient against hacking.
This dispute led to a mediation procedure, which ended in failure. But the recent arrival of Nicolas de Tavernost at the head of LFP Media seems to revive the discussions. The former M6 boss confirmed that Dazn now said he was ready to break the contract at the end of the season, in exchange for compensation which would be around 100 million euros, a sum below that initially envisaged in mediation. An outing that would allow the League to anticipate the after-Dazn, reveals the team.
The LFP could thus launch its own 100 % Ligue 1 channel next season, an increasingly concrete option. But Dazn proposed an alternative: rather than paying the compensation, the platform would pay for production costs while remaining a partner. This solution would maintain Dazn as a technical distributor of the chain, with the possibility of keeping part of its editorial teams already in place.
Bein Sports wants to play the game
In parallel, BeIN Sports could play a key role in this reorganization. The group would be willing to give up the match it is currently broadcasting and even producing the future Ligue 1 channel on behalf of the LFP. This configuration could rekindle dialogue with Canal+, which remains an essential player in the French audiovisual landscape, and relaunch a dynamic of co-diffusion via partnerships.
But to take the next step, the LFP still has to adjust the thorny Dazn backrest. The next payment of 70 million euros, scheduled for April 30, is crucial. If it is honored, a final exit agreement could be found quickly, allowing the League to project itself more serenely to the future of its TV rights and its dedicated channel.
