Mediapro wishes to renegotiate the amount of the broadcasting rights for French L1 and L2 because of the coronavirus pandemic, reveals its main manager, Jaume Roures, in an interview to be published this Thursday in
L'Equipe
.
“
We want to discuss the contract again this season.
She is very affected by Covid-19, everyone knows that because everyone is suffering.
We are not calling into question the project as such.
But bars and restaurants are closed, advertising has collapsed ... These are things that everyone knows,
”explains Jaume Roures in the daily.
Read also: Mediapro entrusts the management of its Téléfoot channel to Amaury Media
Mediapro, which launched the dedicated Téléfoot channel this season, asked the Professional Football League (LFP) for a deadline to settle its deadline of October 6 (172 M EUR): “
It's more complicated than that.
We have asked to talk about this season's contract because of the Covid-19.
It is obvious that the Covid affects many aspects of the exploitation of rights.
We want to talk about that,
”insists Jaume Roures.
The rights set for the 2020-2021 season amount to 780 million euros for L1 and 34 million euros for L2, confirms Jaume Roures, stressing that "
the League itself asked the government to compensate his losses due to the Covid.
We are in this dynamic.
We do not have a concrete amount.
We want to renegotiate the price.
We asked to establish a timetable to bring this negotiation to a conclusion, which will not be public
”.
“
The contract was established under conditions that have nothing to do with the current situation
,” adds Jaume Roures.
Read also: Television: Mediapro joins forces with TF1 to enter France
Finally, on the October 6 deadline, which Mediapro has not paid, and on the October 17 date, on which the LFP must distribute the sums paid by the broadcasters to the clubs, Jaume Roures is not very encouraging: “
It is obvious that on October 17, we will not have reached an agreement.
But we can find formulas that help the economic situation of clubs
”.