This is the decision that French football was waiting for in the television rights series of Ligue 1. This Thursday August 5 at 4 p.m., the Commercial Court of Nanterre ruled in favor of beIN Sports, supported by the Professional Football League (LFP ), in the dispute between it and Canal +.
The president of the court thus asked Canal + to respect its annual sub-license contract of 332 million euros signed in 2019 with the Qatari channel and to ensure the broadcasting of the two L1 matches per day, from the famous lot 3. Starting with the Troyes-PSG meeting on Saturday August 7 and Metz-Lille the next day.
Read also: TV rights: high risk week for French football
In mid-June 2021, the Professional Football League (LFP) had awarded 80% of L1 matches to Amazon for only 250 million euros from the 2021-2022 season.
"A blessed day for French football"
, reacted at the time the president of OL, Jean-Michel Aulas. A few hours later, the president of Canal +, Maxime Saada, announced slamming the door of Ligue 1. Since then, multiple legal proceedings have been initiated between Canal +, beIN Sports and the LFP.
Despite today's interim order from the Commercial Court of Nanterre, several uncertainties remain.
Because Vincent Bolloré's channel could decide not to honor its sublicense contract, and appeal the decision.
And then the LFP would claim from the encrypted channel penalties of 1 million euros per day of delay.
beIN Sports should broadcast the matches
To avoid a black screen situation this weekend, the conciliator Hélène Bourbouloux, who was appointed as part of the summary proceedings at the Paris judicial court between the LFP could then ask the Qatari channel to replace on Canal + and to broadcast the matches. “
This is the most likely scenario. Viewers should attend these L1 meetings this weekend on beIN Sports,
”explains a person close to the matter.
If the questions around the broadcasting of matches are starting to find answers following the decision of this Thursday, August 5, the financial question remains, it still unresolved.
Even though beIN Sports is supposed to pay the LFP today a first amount of 56 million euros.
A significant contribution of new money for football clubs when the championship resumes.
beIN Sports does not pay the 56 million euros
However, beIN Sports has decided not to settle the bill of 56 million euros, because the conciliation procedure under which the channel is placed protects it financially in the short term.
Thus, the Qatari channel could find itself in the same situation as the audiovisual group Mediapro in the fall of 2020, which had broadcast matches for a while without having yet paid the bill.
One thing is certain, the decision of the Commercial Court of Nanterre is far from putting an end to the substantive television rights case. A procedure brought by beIN against the LFP, with the Paris judicial court, will be examined in November, to determine whether this famous lot 3 divided between Amazon and beIN can be renegotiated. The Qatari channel also brought the case against the League to the European Commission, for "
distortion of competition
" and "
abuse of a dominant position
". In the coming days, it should also take action with the French Competition Authority. This endless file risks jeopardizing the economic balance of French clubs, whose finances have been weakened by eighteen health crises.