“We won on all points.
On the side of the Professional Football League (LFP), the time was for relief after the new legal episode in the Ligue 1 TV rights case. Nine days after the hearing, the Paris Commercial Court, which had been approached by Canal + and BeIN Sports to demand from the LFP that it put back on the market lot number 3 of the TV rights of Ligue 1 (two matches per day) during the future call for tenders and not only those held by Mediapro, delivered its verdict this Thursday afternoon.
The two groups were unsuccessful in all of their requests concerning this lot, held by BeIN, but sublicensed to Canal for 332 million euros per year.
Canal + was even ordered to pay 50,000 euros to the League for legal costs.
"The LFP takes note of the court's decision to dismiss the companies Canal + and BeIN Sports France from all of their requests, thus acknowledging that the consultation launched by the LFP in January 2021 on the rights of Ligue 1 for the season 2020-2024, previously conceded to Mediapro, in no way violated the obligations imposed by the Sports Code and competition law, and that the LFP did not commit any discriminatory practice or abuse of a dominant position.
In particular, the court ruled that no legal provision required the LFP to take back all the rights granted to "relaunch a complete call for tenders process" following the failure of Mediapro ", indicates the League in a statement.
A relief for the clubs
The LFP will therefore be able to continue to benefit from this contract signed with BeIN Sports on lot n ° 3 and is therefore guaranteed to receive 330 million euros until 2024. A relief for the clubs.
The next call for tenders will therefore relate only to the other lots, ie 80% of L1 matches.
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"The LFP hopes that this decision will be such as to reassure all potential candidates for the acquisition of audiovisual broadcasting rights for the competitions it is organizing and allow a calm resumption of discussions by mutual agreement in order to finalize, in as soon as possible, distribution agreements for the 2021 to 2024 seasons and provide professional football clubs and football as a whole with the visibility necessary and essential to get through this period of unprecedented health and economic crisis, ”the body continues.
Canal + will appeal
But the case may not be over yet.
In a press release, Canal + very quickly indicated its intention to appeal.
The case will therefore be referred to the Paris Court of Appeal.
“The Canal Group will appeal this decision as soon as possible and at the same time maintains its complaint previously filed with the Competition Authority,” announces the channel in its press release.
The Canal Group continues to consider that any call for applications which excludes lot 3, currently operated by the Canal group, would constitute an abuse of the LFP's dominant position by creating discriminatory transaction conditions between potential buyers.
The Canal group is determined to assert its rights in order to prevent this discrimination from producing deep inequalities of treatment between the broadcasters of Ligue 1 in the future. "
