Nothing is going well between the Professional Football League (LFP) and its main broadcaster, Dazn. Divorce seems to be made, and plunges clubs again into financial uncertainty. © Nathan Barange (DPPI) via AFP – The leaders of the Professional Football League (LFP) want a break with the Dazn Ligue 1 broadcaster. Save save Receive Ligue 1 alerts Two small press releases which say a lot about the inventory. Yesterday evening, a few minutes from the kick-off of the Champions League match between Aston Villa at Paris Saint Germain (3-2), the president of the Professional Football League (LFP), Vincent Labrune, was in the passageways of the English stadium with the whole staff of the Parisian club, who came to attend the qualification of his team for the semi-finals of the competition. But around 7:30 p.m., his teams sent an electronic missive in which the League commercial subsidiary, LFP Media, took note of the failure of mediation initiated in early March 2025 (with its Dazn diffuser, editor’s note). The contract binding the parties remains in force and LFP Media awaits his partner that he fully executes all of his obligations in this respect. “From this winter, the cloth burns between the new broadcaster and the League, the two parties now attacking the courts for deception on the goods on the British side, and for non-compliance with the contract on the LFP side. To get out of the impasse, mediation had therefore been launched in order to find a way as possible, and responsible. Dazn claims in court no less than 573 million euros from LFPDU side of club presidents, who vote and validate the strategy of the League, we had rather heard Tuesday evening to stop this summer the contract with Dazn, while a reciprocal exit clause is in theory in December in December, and on the condition that the broadcaster does not exceed the 1.5 million subscribers (for a figure currently 550,000, despite numerous promotional operations). The presidents even asked that Dazn pays an end of early contract, estimated at 120 million euros. This compensation would have come in addition to the next two deadlines that the broadcaster is supposed to pay to the League, on April 30 and June 30, for a total of 140 million euros. A proposal swept by a back of hand by Dazn who claims in court no less than 573 million euros “for observed breach” and “deception on the goods”. Dazn, who embarked on a harsh legal battle, could as she had done this winter to sequest the money she owes under sequel, pending a court decision on the merits. Bad news for Ligue 1 clubs, which urgently need this money, to complete the season and prepare for the rest. Especially since none of these structures precisely knows which financial sauce it will be eaten. Without Dazn’s money (just under 400 million euros this year), which should end the year with a dry loss estimated around 200 million euros for lack of sufficient subscribers, there is indeed only Bein Sports on board, for a little less than 100 million euros in cash and in advertising exchange, in return for the dissemination of the only day of championship, the last, that Dazn does not have in his contract. From then on, it is the scenario of the worst that takes shape for the clubs, who see the Ligue 1 product devalue months after month. While there are two years ago, the LFP was tapped on a potential for TV rights close to the billion euros, it is found today with an estimated product around 300 million euros, litigation from all sides with its broadcasters, and clubs in total asphyxiation. The league must study the launch of its own Ligue 1 to raise the head, the LFP, whose offices of the 17th arrondissement A few days a new managing director, in the person of the former Boss of M6 and the Girondins de Bordeaux Nicolas de Tavernost, could try to make a carpet. Last summer, when choosing the Dazn option, a handful of club presidents (including Joseph Oughourlian de Lens and John Textor from Lyon) pushed for the League to launch its own channel. Double problem: it is necessary to be able to advance around 50 million euros to finance the production costs, and there is then no possibility of guaranteeing a minimum income for clubs. Under these conditions, difficult for the latter to build a forecast budget. But the advantage of mastering all processes, both marketing and editorial, could push certain recalcitrant presidents to review their position. This is the trend of the moment. Read also: Ligue 1 subscription price: And you, how does the Dazn diffuser treat you? Testify! To get out of it, the LFP could also go back to see Warner Bros Discovery, the Mother House of Eurosport, which had proposed to the LFP to associate with it to broadcast its matches on Max, its platform which essentially offers winter sports, tennis and cycling, in addition to a catalog of films and series. No platform management constraints, a common marketing with Discovery: the LFP would then punctuate a share for each subscription to this chain. Only, the base of MAX subscribers (not communicated) could be limited again. According to an NPA Conseil / Harris Interactive poll carried out shortly after the marketing of Max in France (June 2024), only 20% of the population interviewed declared themselves to be interested in this new platform. Nicolas de Tavernost (ex-M6) expected as the Messiedès during, all eyes are once again turning to Canal+ (whose majority shareholder is the Bolloré group, as in the case of Prisma Média, publisher of capital), the historic broadcaster of French football. The chain, which combines good audiences thanks to the Champions League during the week, built a solid weekend grid without the Ligue 1, betting on mechanical sports, English football and rugby. Its leaders do not seem ready to return to Ligue 1, but with their house platform, MyCanal, they could very well welcome the future Ligue 1 channel, including if it was integrated at Max. This role of content aggregator goes very well to Canal+, which could thus offer Ligue 1 to its subscribers, without paying the slightest euro from the LFP. It must be said that the chain is still in litigation with the sports organization, following the granting of the majority of Ligue 1 matches in Amazon Prime during the previous TV rights cycle for a price much lower than that set by Canal + for its lot of the time. Clubs now hope that Nicolas de Tavernost (still special advisor to the CMA CGM Media group for the moment), can find such a outlet, and create this Ligue 1. channel. His undeniable experience in the TV world, coupled with his good relations with the Canal boss, Maxime Saada, could help. We will also have to find the confidence of football fans, and convince viewers to pay (between 15 and 20 euros per month probably) for a legal football offer, while hacking has wreaked havoc this season. The site after Dazn is enormous, while the divorce is not even pronounced. 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Dazn anticipated stop, financial abyss at the LFP… The worst scenarios for French football
