L’Équipe: Ligue 1 Clubs Face Dramatic Drop in TV Broadcast Revenue%

Following Mbappé’s departure, the Ligue 1 has lost a significant portion of its appeal, and the latest broadcasting rights agreement may further contribute to its decline.

According to the French newspaper L’Équipe, Ligue 1 clubs may be facing significant financial issues. Recently, during the domestic TV broadcast rights auction, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) sold these rights to DAZN and beIN Sports for approximately 500 million euros, a move that is expected to have a direct and significant impact on the teams in France’s top flight. Compared to last season, the average TV broadcast revenue for Ligue 1 clubs is projected to decrease by about 60%.

In short, Ligue 1 clubs now need to prepare for financial austerity, while French fans will face higher viewing costs: up to 45 euros per month. This appears to be a lose-lose situation.

The president of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, Vincent Labrune, had hoped that the league’s TV broadcast rights would bring in more than 900 million euros, and set an ambitious goal of reaching one billion euros through international broadcasting rights. However, the end result is that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs will only receive 228 million euros, while operational costs have risen from 156 million euros last year to 272 million euros.

At the team level, for example, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, even if they win the Ligue 1 title again, can only expect around 22 million euros in TV broadcast revenue, compared to the 60 million euros they received last season. According to RMC Sport, the first round of Ligue 1 matches will not be broadcast in the UK, Spain, and Italy, and the LFP is currently in active negotiations with broadcasters to find a suitable platform.