Ligue 1 is undergoing a transformation, testing the waters of what could potentially be a revolution across Europe in years to come.
The 2025/26 Ligue 1 season kicked-off last week and it had an air of unfamiliarity, for once.
Once again, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) walked into the new season as the reigning champions, but for the first time, the league was watched by fans on the Professional Football League’s (LFP) new direct-to-consumer streaming service; Ligue 1+.
The service is the result of the collapse of a four-year domestic broadcast rights agreement between the LFP and DAZN, just one year into the deal. The LFP swiftly looked to provide fans with a new method to watch Ligue 1 games, and thus the in-house initiative was born.
Ligue 1+ has a set price of $17.00 (€14.99) for a standard subscription, half the price of the monthly $35 (€29.99) subscription cost DAZN required last season. There are also packages set at $12 (€9.99) for customers under-26 years old, and a month-to-month subscription plan priced at $23 (€19.99).
Customers gain access to up to eight games per match week – including all games from the final two match weeks – as well as all Trophée des Champions fixtures, the relegation play-off ties and other exclusive dedicated content, including its own magazine show. Canal+ holds the rights for two fixtures per match week.
With the LFP setting a benchmark for 1 million subscribers by the end of the 2025/26 Ligue 1 season, the opening weekend of the league suggests the LFP is on track to achieve this.
Match week one saw Ligue 1+ surpass 600,000 subscribers, which Nicolas de Tavernost, Chief Executive of LFP Media, believes is a sign the league is being put back into the hands of the fans.
“The public has also understood that Ligue 1+ isn’t just a new channel, but a new spirit for professional football,” said de Tavernost in an interview with L’Equipe. “People have taken ownership of this channel.
Piracy issues
One of the main points of contention as to why the LFP and DAZN deal collapsed in late April was due to DAZN’s belief the LFP was not doing enough to combat piracy of its broadcasts of Ligue 1 games.
Piracy has become an increasingly prevalent topic of discussion amongst football stakeholders, as fans are being drawn to cheaper alternative illegal streams of football matches.
Sky Managing Director, Jonathan Licht, highlighted piracy as “real concern” and has been “normalised” during a Sky Sports Premier League launch event Insider Sport was invited too.
Licht even referenced the collapsed DAZN broadcast deal as a precaution as to why sports broadcasters are fearing the rising threat of piracy.
Speaking to L’Equipe, de Tavernost believes the price point of Ligue 1+’s subscription plans has made fans understand “it’s better to subscribe with these preferential rates than to try to pirate it”.
Sublicence support
While the Ligue 1+ subscriber count is off to a good start, it will need the support of sublicensers to help grow the platform and the league overall into existing and new markets.
The LFP has struck deals with French telecommunication companies Orange and Bouygues Telecom and more recently, FuboTV’s Molotov. It has also agreed a new deal with DAZN.
Molotov, FuboTV’s French TV streaming platform, will distribute Ligue 1+ games in a carriage deal which was announced on August 18. Molotov viewers will be able to watch eight games per match week, as well as access to exclusive Ligue 1+ shows and documentaries, and highlights packages of games.
Breakthrough or make-shift solution?
When the LFP confirmed the roll out of Ligue 1+ it marked a significant shift in the football broadcast industry.
Ligue 1 is the first major European football league to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming platform where fans can watch a majority of live games. Reportedly costing the LFP €66m to launch, Ligue 1+ could either represent the future of European football broadcasts, or serve as a make-shift solution in order to revitalise interest from major sports broadcasters.
While Ligue 1 is often viewed as a ‘top five European league’, it ranked the lowest for broadcast revenue, with the previous DAZN and Canal+ broadcast rights agreement worth €400m per season.
With the likes of the Premier League bringing in upwards of $2bn (£1.5bn) per season as part of its new four-year broadcast rights deal, the LFP had to find an alternative route to raise broadcast revenues while committing its future to its fans.
If the LFP can overachieve on its 1 million subscriber target by the end of this season, and its 2.5-2.9 million objective over the next four years, Ligue 1+ could set a new precedent for how fans watch their favourite European football league.
