TV rights: the League threatens Mediapro to turn to other broadcasters

The Professional Football League (LFP) has put Mediapro on formal notice to settle its television rights deadlines.

Otherwise, it does not rule out turning to other broadcasters.

The Sino-Spanish group, main broadcaster of Ligue 1, holders of the rights to L1 and L2 for the period 2020-2024 against 814 million euros annually, did not honor the 2nd payment of 172 million euros on October 5.

Mediapro boss Jaume Roures has engaged in a standoff with the League, demanding a delay in payment - which he has been denied - and a renegotiation of lower rights, which Mediapro exploits through its new Téléfoot channel.

According to a letter from the LFP sent to club presidents, Mediapro has entered into a mediation procedure with the Nanterre commercial court, which allows companies to negotiate with their creditors.

“The LFP has done well, as the procedure requires, a proposal to the ad hoc representative, specifies Arnaud Rouger, new general manager of the FFF.

This was followed by a response from Mediapro which was totally unacceptable given the financial uncertainties for the clubs.

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"Formed to settle the deadlines of October 1 and 5"

In its letter, the LFP also said not to rule out turning to other operators and informed the clubs in a recent letter to them.

"We therefore applied the contract that binds us with Mediapro and put them on notice to settle the installments of October 1 and 5, while activating the guarantee given by the parent company of the Mediapro group, the Chinese fund Orient Hontai Capital" , writes Arnaud Rouger.

"The current mediation blocks the use of the deposit" of the parent company, nevertheless specifies a source close to the case.

“The LFP is going through what a lot of

and SMEs in France live, with a supplier who does not pay.

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The board of directors of the LFP met Thursday morning to validate a loan aimed at compensating for the amounts that Mediapro refuses to pay to the clubs, of which about a third of the income, on average, depends on TV rights.