The situation between Ligue 1 and beIN Sports is becoming increasingly complicated, as the broadcaster has yet to make the first payment on the €98.5m it owes.
French clubs are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Following Lyon’s fiery final notice to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) last week, Le Havre has raised the stakes even further.
According to L’Équipe, Le Havre President Jean-Michel Roussier has declared that if beIN Sports is scheduled to broadcast one of his team’s Ligue 1 matches, he will bar the broadcaster from entering the Stade Océane, effectively preventing them from airing the game.
Ahead of the 2024/25 season, the French top-flight league found itself in a precarious position, with no broadcasting deal secured just two weeks before the season’s start. Although the league eventually announced agreements with DAZN and beIN Sports, which seemed to resolve the issue, the situation has been far from smooth since then.
Despite the agreement between beIN Sports and the LFP to broadcast Ligue 1 for €98.5m, including €20m in club sponsorship, the Qatari broadcaster has yet to make any payments for the rights.
At the centre of this issue is a disagreement over co-broadcasting. beIN Sports cannot seem to move past the league’s position, which stated: “Co-broadcasting reduces the competitive field. We don’t want to set a precedent for our next calls for tenders. This would clearly endanger the enhancement of our rights.”
This failure to agree on this part of the contract is causing clubs to lose a large amount of revenue and putting the league in a tough spot. As this conflict continues, it is delaying the payment of the first instalment of the August TV rights, leaving the clubs without €15m.
Compounding the issue is the sponsorship problem, which adds to the complexity of the situation. Out of the promised €98.5m, €20m is funded by Qatar Tourism. Each club is required to submit visibility agreements to promote tourism in the emirate, but the process is moving slowly and some clubs have yet to present their proposals.
Consequently, the upcoming payment deadline in October is also likely to be missed, which would further worsen the financial strain on the clubs. This matter will be a focal point at the next Ligue 1 meeting on 17 October, where reaching a compromise will be crucial to releasing the funds and preventing the situation from escalating.
Notably, beIN Sports has secured broadcasting deals with other European football leagues, including Spain’s La Liga, where it has consistently made all its payments on time.
