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Ligue 1: Canal + would have seized the Competition Authority

2021-01-30T12:16:39.003Z


INFO LE FIGARO - The channel wants a call for tenders covering the entire French Football Championship. After a complaint to the Paris Commercial Court, she would have turned to the competition officer.


Canal + definitely takes a very dim view of the call for tenders launched by the Professional Football League (LFP) for the relaunching of part of Ligue 1's TV rights until 2024. According to our information, the chain would have seized the Competition Authority, while the offers of possible buyers are expected Monday, February 1 in the morning.

Canal + would have initiated two procedures with the antitrust.

First, precautionary measures to oblige the LFP to organize a new call for tenders covering all matches in the championship.

But that's not all.

The channel also intends to denounce, still with the antitrust, the abuse of a dominant position committed by the Football League, via a substantive complaint.

Pattern?

The launch of a partial call for tenders would destabilize the entire pay-TV market.

It would constitute anti-competitive discrimination, since it would impose unfair conditions on Canal +.

Read also: TV rights: Canal + takes legal action against the League's market consultation

In mid-January, the footballing body had chosen to put into play only the TV rights left vacant since December 22 by Mediapro.

Canal + did not agree.

The Vivendi subsidiary estimates that in 2018 it overpaid for the lot of meetings bought back 330 million euros per year under license from beIN Sports.

She therefore wants to return her matches on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

This is out of the question for the League, which is trying to secure its 330 million euros, the only cash flow it has left with the fifty million euros paid by Free for mobile TV rights.

Last Monday, Canal + challenged the market consultation launched by the LFP before the Paris Commercial Court.

By triggering a new procedure, with the Competition Authority this time, Canal + sends a certain way a second warning shot.

Possible return of Mediapro

The Vivendi subsidiary kills two birds with one stone.

On the one hand, it weakens the call for tenders launched by the League.

The latter left until February 5 to designate a possible buyer.

But now she finds herself with several Damocles swords hanging over her head.

If the call for tenders proves successful, it could be called into question however by the Commercial Court of Paris on February 19.

As for the study of conservatory measures requested from the Competition Authority, the procedure could take between four to six months.

If Canal + were finally successful, that means that everything would have to be done again in a few months for the League.

Without mentioning the complaint for abuse of a dominant position, which would also allow the encrypted channel to attack all the contracts signed by the LFP with new broadcasters for anti-competitive agreement.

Two days before the submission of offers from potential buyers, the tension has risen further.

In this rebounding soap opera where French football plays its survival, anything is now possible.

As the terms of the call for tenders make it possible to sub-license, the consultation could attract investment funds, attracted by a good deal.

Amazon is also expected.

Christian Jeanpierre: "The arrival of Amazon in French football seems inevitable to me"

And a return, in one way or another, of Mediapro, which had dangled in the League 830 million euros per year before stopping its payments, is no longer even excluded by the players in the sector.

Will Canal + participate?

Nothing says so.

Will the channel be ready to put in a lot of money?

The hypothesis is highly improbable.

The only certainty, for the time being, is that Canal + is determined to put maximum pressure on the Ligue 1 TV rights match which will be played on Monday.

Source: lefigaro

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